Lightbearers
by kairinamine17
Summary: Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine must find the two Lightbearers, the chosen weilders of Light to help save the captured King Mickey from the evil Illuminous Depthors. Along with Roxas, they run into romance, heartbreak, and plenty of adventure.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **this fanfic is a collaboration between myself and a friend. At the end of each chapter, I will post who wrote that chapter. Please do not copy any of our original work; such as our original characters or worlds. Thank You. I will be adding chapters to this story as time passes. We are not done writing it yet so bear with me. Feel free to post any comments! Enjoy!

PROLOGUE

Their evil laughs filled the room. The echo across the empty room made it seem louder than what it actually was. The two people dressed in long black cloaks glared down upon their bystanders from one of the many balconies that occupied the room. The black spiked haired man stepped forward. With his bright red eyes, he gazed down upon the teenagers. They all looked up at the two tall figures with looks of anticipation, worry, and fear.

"Why proceed? If you hurt us…you hurt him," he said pointing toward his colleague. Her catlike features made the teenagers wince as she pulled down her hood. Her small nose twitched as the man gave her a nod. Her yellow eyes stared back directly into his own. He gave another quick nod, and with a swipe of her yellowish hair, she pounced onto another balcony in the large room.

"Is this what you're looking for?" she asked as she held up the limp body of King Mickey. He looked as if he had been beaten and deprived of any food, water, or proper living arrangements in days. His clothes were tattered and torn and his whole torso was covered in a mixture of sweat and dirt. He swayed back and forth as the woman held his foot in one hand.

"Let him go! Stop it!" yelled a blond haired girl. Her snow white dress waved as she ran, tears were also forming in her crystal blue eyes.

Running after her a silver haired boy, dressed in yellow and black, yelled, "Namine wait!" as he grabbed her arm.

"Riku, let go!" Namine hollered at him.

"You can't do this!" Riku added.

"Oh…but we can," replied the man.

"In fact…we plan to do way more than this," she stated as she dropped the King.

"NO!" shrieked an auburn haired girl. She shook and her pink tube top dress did the same. She watched with her light brown eyes as King Mickey plummeted to his death. He dropped until he was about five feet from the ground until the hooded man snapped his fingers. Just like that, the King vanished.

"Why are you doing this?" sobbed a spiky, brown haired boy dressed in black.

"Because we need something form you Sora…you three too," she answered.

She snapped her fingers and a little poof of smoke appeared in Riku and Namine's hands. All four of the teenagers jumped, but as the smoke began to fade away, an object began to form. After the smoke was gone, there remained a photograph in each of their hands.

"If you ever want to see your King…alive…ever again, you'll bring these two to us," the man bellowed.

"Why do you want them?" Sora questioned.

"It does not matter! Unless…you want your King dead…then…"

"No!" yelled the two girls.

"We'll do it, but where are they?"

"The boy is in Twilight Town," the female said.

"The girl is in Traverse Town," the male said. "Now go!"

All four of the teenagers remained in place. They continued to look over the photos with a puzzled look upon their faces.

"I said go!" yelled the man.

"Now!" the woman cackled.

They watched as the four teens ran out of the hall. They waited until the sound of their footsteps was out of hearing distance, then the woman glanced at the man.

"You better be right about this, Xtmat."

"Remain calm, Chelesax. Do not worry. The reason why we failed before is because we did not have the proper key."

"What does that mean? What does that have to do with claiming Kingdom Hearts?"

He held out his left hand as he gently whispered, "The true key to darkness…"

He then held out his right hand as he added, "Is light," he explained as he clapped his hands together.

"And these two…children possess this light?"

"Of course…after all…they are the Lightbearers."

A collaboration between myself and my friend Matt.


	2. Chapter 1 Still in Illuminous Depths

**Note: This is a chapter following Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine.**

CHAPTER 1 STILL IN ILLUMINOUS DEPTHS

As Riku, Sora, Kairi, and Namine proceeded down the long corridor to reach the door, they began talking again.

"So what are we going to do?" Kairi asked walking next to Sora.

"We really have no choice, we have to do what they asked," Sora replied.

"Not really, we could try to sneak the King out," Riku interjected.

"Riku, you know that would never work. We have no idea where he is being held, besides even if we did we would probably get caught," Namine reasoned.

"Namine's right, we could get caught then what?" Sora asked.

Riku, who was leading the way, made a turn down a hall to the right. "Hey guys…I…umm…think I got us lost," Riku said.

"It seems that way," Kairi observed.

"Don't blame me! All these halls look a like!" Riku hollered.

"Riku, calm down, no one blames you," Sora said.

The four friends glanced around. They desperately tried to find a familiar object. The only thing they saw was the white walls and the white flowers that seemed to grow out of the wall.

"Maybe we should keep going forward, we may find something familiar," Kairi reasoned.

"I agree," Namine offered.

"Okay…Sora, you lead," Riku said. Sora moved past Riku and took the lead.

Sora led them farther down the hall and finally into a huge open room. It was completely white with a door on the opposite side of the room. They ran across the room and stopped in front of the door.

"Does this lead outside?" Namine asked.

"I don't think so. I do think we are close though." Sora answered.

"Maybe we can help," Kairi and Namine said mysteriously.

"What are you two blathering on about?" Riku asked.

"We can help," they offered.

"How?" Sora asked.

"Just watch," Kairi snapped.

Namine and Kairi reached for each others hands. They nodded in agreement. As their hands connected, an aura of light surrounded them. They hummed and once they stopped and let go of each others hands, the light flew away.

"Quick, follow it!" Namine yelled.

They dashed after the light. It led them through the door, down another white hallway, and out a huge metal door. They stood on the steps of the towering castle.

"We're out!" Sora exclaimed.

"What was _that_?" Riku asked in amazement, turning to face Kairi and Namine.

"Since Namine's my Nobody, we have that power. Don't ask how, we just figured it out one day," Kairi explained.

"Whatever, let's just try to get back to the Gummi Ship," Riku said passively.

"We should be able to, as long as you don't lead the way," Kairi said to Riku.

"Thanks, just because my mind is on something else…" Riku trailed off.

"What was that?" Namine teased.

"No…never mind it's not important. I will get her out of my mind and focus," Riku said hastily.

"Her?" Sora asked.

"Never mind," Riku said, his face slowly reddening.

"You have never mentioned a her before," Kairi teased.

"Let's just go," Riku said.

"Okay, I will lead. Feel free to think about her, Riku," Sora said.

He led them down the road and down a nearby side street. On either side of the street, tall black buildings loomed. They continued walking until they came to a huge, towering building with a large screen at the top. On the screen was the face of Xtmat. They stopped here to collect their thoughts.

"Does anyone know where we are?" Sora asked.

"We should be close to our ship," Kairi answered looking around.

"Look, there is a hotel over there, why don't we stay there for the night and gather our plans," Riku suggested.

"Okay," they all agreed.

The four walked across the street and entered the hotel. The manger at the desk took one look at the four and handed them two room keys. Kairi and Namine in one; Riku and Sora in the other. They each separated at the door to the room. There was a connecting door between the two rooms. Kairi and Namine entered the boys' room.

"What are we going to do?" Kairi asked.

**This Chapter written by me, Chelsea**


	3. Chapter 2 A Lonely Life

Chapter 2

A Lonely Life

A teenage girl sat silently on her purple bed. She is a shy girl; she only has a few friends. Her name is Chelsea. She has shoulder length dark chocolate brown hair and deep brown eyes that have a sparkle to them. She is dressed in her school uniform; a maroon plaid skirt and white blouse. She's always wondering how to escape reality. Her dream is to find a way to transport herself into a different world. Her school life is full of ridicule. Everyone makes jokes about her because she is so quiet. She is happy about where she lives; by the beach, she just wants to escape the ridicule.

Her house is situated on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Chelsea lives in the small town of Heartland, California. She lives in a huge three story house with French glass doors and everything. Her mother can afford the best because she is a doctor. The smell of salt air fills the entire house when someone opens the door. It is particularly nice now; in the spring. It is usually around eighty degrees.

"Chelsea! Supper, come on!" Her mom called up to her.

"I'm not hungry!" Chelsea called back. She wanted to sit on her bed all night. She loved her green and blue room, it made her feel safe.

"Come on, you have to eat something!" Her mom called back. Chelsea could hear the stairs creak as her mom began to climb them.

"Why?" Chelsea asked, no longer shouting.

"Because if you don't, you will starve to death," her mom explained now standing in the doorway.

Chelsea turned to face her mom. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "I…I was hurt at school today and I can't walk down the stairs." She sobbed.

"Oh, honey, who hurt you?" Her mother asked, sitting down beside Chelsea.

"It was Jennifer. She pushed me down the stairs!" Chelsea wailed.

"It's all right let's take a look at what hurts," her mom said comfortingly. Chelsea nodded her agreement.

She slid down her gray knee sock to reveal a bruise the size of a tomato on her ankle. She stood up and tried to walk, but immediately crumpled to her knees.

"Brittany was the only one who saw it," Chelsea told her mom, who nodded and left to retrieve an ice pack.

"Keep your leg up with the ice on it," she instructed, and then left again.

Chelsea did as she was told; she propped her leg up on her bed and secured the ice pack to it. She was thankful that her best friend, Brittany, was there for her. She glanced at her bedside clock to see what time it was. Only 6:00 she thought. She reached across her bed and grabbed her lap top. She flicked it open and turned it on. The familiar background of Zac Efron was staring her in the face. She double clicked on the Internet, and Google popped up. In the search bar, she typed in the words 'vacation spots.' Close to ten thousand results popped up.

She clicked on the link she thought would be best. As the page loaded, a beautiful picture of a city appeared. Traverse Town was the name of the city.

"Hmmm…I've never heard of this place before," she mumbled to herself.

She clicked on the more information link and a page with the words 'No info. Available' was displayed. That's odd she thought to herself. She clicked the back button until the Google search page was displayed. In the search bar, she typed in the words 'Traverse Town.' There were ten results. The first was the page where she just was. She clicked on the second link.

The website was all about Traverse Town; at least that's what it looked like. There was the same picture she had looked at before and the only information was that there were close to twenty thousand inhabitants.

"I guess I will never be able to go there," Chelsea sadly murmured, as she clicked the close button. She shut down her computer and lay back against her pillow.

"_I really wish that my ankle was better. I really wish my ankle was better. Man do I wish that Jennifer was a nice person," _Chelsea thought to herself. She fell asleep with these thoughts running through her mind.


	4. Chapter 3 Summer VaCa

Chapter 3

Summer Va-Ca

"Come on…come on…" said a freckled brown haired boy. His hazel eyes moved along with every twitch of the second hand on the clock. "Go faster."

"What was that, Matt?" asked the balding man up in front of the classroom. He pulled his glasses down to the bottom of his long nose as he looked at his student with a puzzled look.

"Um…I said…uh, uh…go on. Go on, Mr. Lullman."

"Oh! Well, in that case, you see that the answer has to be equal to the opposite angle of the adjacent side…" he rambled on; paying no attention on how much his students hated his class. Every student was either running their hands through their hair, burying their faces in their hands, or sleeping on their desk.

A second after Mr. Lullman went back to his work on the board, a blond haired boy with thin rimmed glasses tapped Matt on the shoulder.

"Go on? Nice save, doofus."

"Shut up, Derek." Matt snapped.

"_Why can't class be over? It's the last day of school! Why are we learning?" _Matt though to himself. Matt looked up at the clock. It was still another seven minutes until the end of class. Matt groaned as he collapsed on his desk.

"_I wish that time would speed up." _

All of a sudden, the bell rang. I had the same effect as a starting gun of a track meet. Every person in the room, including Mr. Lullman, bolted toward the door.

"That was odd," Matt said.

"What was odd?" Derek asked. Derek sat behind waiting for Matt. Matt usually gave Derek a ride home after school since Derek didn't have his license. It was a regular routine for them. Matt would pick him up and go to school. Then, after school Matt would take him over to McDonald's. Finally, he would drop him off.

Today was different though. Since today was the last day of school, they planned to go shopping together at the local mall.

"Nothing," Matt replied putting it aside.

"Are you ready?

"Oh yeah."

"Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" Matt sang as he skipped across the mall floor. "Free at last!"

"Summer Va-Ca! All freakin' right!" added Derek. The two of them had been planning the mall trip for almost a whole month, and they had already bought at least two hundred dollars worth combined of clothes, games, and cd's.

"So…where next?" Derek asked.

"Oooh! What's this place?" Matt asked as they walked past a small store. There was a mysterious feeling about the place. It had dark curtains decorated with sequins that made them seem like they sparkled as they moved. There was a small sign above the door that read

Mystic Shop

"Obviously a place that doesn't get a lot of business," Derek guessed. "C'mon Matt. Let's go."

Before he even said this though, Matt was already opening the door to the store. He took a quick glance behind him as he waved his cautious friend to follow.

Inside the store it looked as if they were in some type of gothic arena. There were many weird looking objects scattered around the room.

"Okay…and I thought you were weird," Derek joked. "Matt? Are you listening?"

Matt was intrigued by everything he saw in the store. He was picking up every trinket, box, and gizmo and staring at it with amazement.

"These are so cool!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah…if you slit your wrists for a living," said Derek as he held up what appeared to be a human hand attached to a stone bird, but quickly dropped it in disgust.

"Where's the store owner? There's no one here!" Matt examined.

"This place is so creepy, even the owner doesn't want to be here!"

They continued to look around the store when they found what appeared to be the front desk. It was extremely messy. There were papers, objects, and books scattered all around it. What caught Matt's eye though were the titles of the books. Matt wiped the dust off the crest of the books to read the titles.

"History of Magic…Master's Guide to Spells…Wizard Works…does some kind of magician live here?" Matt asked Derek.

"I don't know, but I really don't want to stay here when someone gets sawed in half," replied Derek as he continued to look around the place in disgust.

Matt, however, was still intrigued by everything in the store. He continued looking through papers sorted out on the desk until he looked up. He saw a curtained doorway just behind the desk. He moved past the curtain. Both of them were completely oblivious to the fact that there was a sign above the doorway that read,

Keep out!

If the front side of the store was creepy, Derek didn't know what to think of the back room. It held just as many disfigured, if not more, objects than the front. Derek looked around and saw Matt standing in the way back holding up another book.

"Winnie the Pooh? A lot of different from the other ones." He put the book down as he saw a more interesting object. It was a small decorative red chest. It was outlined with ruby colors and in the middle was a silver latch keeping it closed.

"Matt! Don't touch that!"

"Why?"

"Because…it might be like a…a human finger or something!"

"Oh come on! I know this place is a little weird, but it's not like a cannibalism shop!"

"Who cares? Just…don't touch that, Matt."

"What could it hurt?" Matt said as he flipped the latch.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I had customers."

written by Matt


	5. Chapter 4 Arguments

* * *

This chapter followes Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine again.

* * *

Chapter 4

Arguments

"I don't know," Sora said as he collapsed onto his bed. Riku followed suit. Naminé took a seat on Riku's bed as Kairi took a seat on Sora's.

"Why do you think they need these two?" Riku said holding up the picture of the girl.

"I don't know…but we can't bring these two to them," Naminé added looking at the picture of the boy.

"Are you crazy?!" Sora yelled sitting straight up in his bed. "Do you want King Mickey to die?…Why would you even think that?"

"Sora…think about it," Riku stated. "Whatever Xtmat and Chelesax want with these two, it can't be good. They might hurt them or even worse."

"They don't deserve that," Naminé added.

"So what are you saying, Naminé? Do you think that King Mickey deserves what's going to happen to him?" Kairi snapped.

"No! Of course not!" she replied.

"You're not being fair, Kairi," Riku said.

"And you're not being fair to King Mickey!" yelled Sora tears streaming down his flushed cheeks.

Riku and Naminé stood there staring at Sora with timid looks and then Naminé burst into tears and ran out of the room.

"Way to go, man," Riku said sitting back down on his bed.

"I don't know about you two…but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed and getting some sleep," Sora said.

He gave Kairi a little push off of his bed. He folded back the sheets and jumped into his bed. He covered himself with the cotton sheets before he added, "Goodnight Kairi."

Kairi stood in the awkward silence between the two boys and she finally said, "Goodnight guys. I'll see you two in the morning I guess," before walking out the room and closing the green hotel room behind her.

Riku and Sora sat still in their beds for a long time. It was about fifteen minutes before Riku stood up. He began to pace back and forth across the carpeted floor.

"What…are…you…doing?" Sora asked while burying his head underneath one of his pillows.

"Thinking," Riku responded.

"Well stop…you're keeping me up!" Sora snapped.

Riku stopped walking. He stood beside the window of the hotel room and began to look outside with a worried look.

"You don't think they'll hurt her…do you?" Riku asked.

"I don't know!…I just don't want that to happen to King Mickey so I'm willing to take the risk," Sora replied.

"How can you say that? You don't even know her!" Riku yelled storming over to the end of Sora's bed.

"Well stop talking like you do!" Sora screamed throwing a pillow at Riku. Riku caught it and stared into Sora's eyes. "Riku…listen to me…I don't know why we need to get these two people. All I know is that if we don't…King Mickey…will die," Sora said tears forming in his eyes.

"Tell you what…I'll go with you to find _her_ and Kairi and Naminé will go to find _him_. When we find her then and only then will I ever think about not bringing her back here to the Illuminous Depths," Sora stated. "Now go to bed, Riku…it's late."

Sora jumped out of bed and took back the pillow he threw at Riku. He walked over to his bed and made himself comfortable…he was asleep within two minutes.

Riku sat on his bed. He placed the pillow behind his head and comfortably laid his head down on the pillow. He pulled the picture of the teenage girl out from his pocket. He fell asleep staring at her picture.

Kairi took her time going back to the room that she shared with Naminé. It wasn't because she didn't like Naminé, she liked her very much. After all, Naminé was her Nobody. When Kairi lost her heart to darkness, Sora was able to retrieve his heart, but only by sacrificing his own. When Kairi's heart was returned, Naminé was formed. Similarly, when Sora regained his heart, Roxas was formed.

Kairi took her time getting back to her room because she knew she was going to fight with Naminé. She came across her apartment and began to search for her card key.

"Shoot!" Kairi yelled as she realized she left it in her room. "Naminé!…Can you open the door? I forgot my key!"

Kairi heard the click of the handle. Naminé opened the door. Kairi could tell she still was crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and she continued to sniff.

"Thanks," was all that Kairi could say.

Namine turned and walked away as she said, "No problem." Namine walked over to the far corner of the room and sat down in the rocking chair. Kairi noticed then that Namine was in her white button up pajamas.

Kairi picked up her silky pink pajamas and walked over to the bathroom. She took a shower and changed into her own pajamas.

By the time she got out, Namine was in bed. Kairi tiptoed over to her own bed trying not to wake her. She noticed, though, that Namine was holding a picture.

"Why are you looking at that?" Kairi blurted out without thinking.

"Oh! Um…just wondering," Namine responded, embarrassed that she had been caught.

"About what? You don't even know him!"

"So what? I'm allowed to wonder!"

"Well how about you wonder about King Mickey and what he's going through!"

"I have been! I'm not wishing that this would happen to him!"

"Well either do I. That's why we need to find him," Kairi said sitting on her bed.

"Kairi…what if he's special? You know…like you and Sora were. What if he's another Keyblade holder or something?"

"This is completely different from Sora's and my own experiences."

"Is it? Or are you just afraid that you might be wrong for once?"

Kairi stopped fighting. She never knew Naminé to be so defensive.

"Good night, Naminé."

Naminé was sitting straight up in her own bed. She turned out the nearby lamp as she replied, "Goodnight Kairi."

Kairi fell asleep thinking if she was afraid about being wrong.

Naminé fell asleep holding the boy's picture tightly against her chest.

written by Matt


	6. Chapter 5 A New Friend

Chapter 5

A New Friend

The next morning, Chelsea awoke to her mom shaking her bed. She sat up and began rubbing her eyes.

"How are you?" Her mom asked.

"Actually, my ankle feels so much better," Chelsea said, pulling down the covers to expose her ankle. There was no sign of what had happened the previous day. She stood and walked over to her closet.

"That's good," her mom said as she nodded. "So what are you planning on doing today, now that your ankle is mysteriously better?"

"I think that I am going to take a walk on the beach," Chelsea said as she slid open her closet doors.

"All right," her mom agreed and left the room.

Chelsea began shifting through her piles of clothes. Finally, she found the skirt and shirt she was looking for. A red, pleated, micro-mini skirt and a light blue tank top. She slipped out of her uniform and into her skirt and shirt. She walked over to her vanity, in one corner, and sat down. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Ugh…I look like a mess," she said to herself. She picked up her brush and ran it through her hair. Next, she took her black eyeliner and carefully lined her eyes. Then she put on her favorite golden eye shadow. "That's much better."

She picked up her make-up and put them in a small backpack she had sitting near by. This was her beach bag. She grabbed her brush, make-up, and cell phone and dropped them into the blue bag. She took a last look around the room to see if she forgot anything. Deciding she hadn't, she walked into the hallway. The walls of the hall were covered with photos of Chelsea growing up. She turned right and walked down the stairs.

"See you later!" Chelsea called to her mom as she reached for the door. As she did, the doorbell rang. She answered it and there stood Jennifer, a blond haired girl with ocean blue eyes.

"Hi Chelsea, I am so sorry for what I did to you yesterday. I really did not mean to do it. I was pushed from behind and I sort of fell into you," Jennifer said, looking truly sorry for what she had done.

"_Wow, Jennifer being nice, what's up with that?" _she thought. "Hey, don't worry about it. I wasn't hurt," Chelsea said.

"So…umm…do you think that you would want to help me baby sit?" Jennifer asked, as she stepped to the side to reveal a young girl only about six years old.

"Yeah, that could be fun. So how about going to the beach?" Chelsea asked

Jennifer looked at the little girl, who nodded. "That sounds like fun. We could play hide and seek," Jennifer said

The three girls walked over the perfectly manicured lawn to a set of wooden stairs leading down to the beach. The smell of salt air was thick as she stepped onto the beach. Their sandals sunk into the squishy sand as they took their first few steps. The beach always made Chelsea forget her worries.

"Okay, let's begin. I will count and you two hide," Jennifer said, looking at the small girl and Chelsea.

Chelsea ran until she was near the cliff on which her house sat. That's when she thought she heard someone behind her. "Who's there?" Chelsea demanded, spinning to face the cliff. "Hmmm…I have never seen that cave before. That would make the perfect hiding place."

Chelsea began to move toward the cave. She felt a distant homey feeling as she did. When she was at the mouth of the cave, everything seemed to become unnaturally quiet. She could have sworn that she could hear her name being called. She slowly entered the cave. When she entered the cave, everything went dark.

"Uhh…my head," Chelsea said as she woke up. She looked around and realized she had seen this place before. "Hey this is…"

written by Chelsea


	7. Chapter 6 Dreamscape

This is the second chapter following the hero.

Chapter 6

Dreamscape

They jumped at the sound of the voice. Right away they knew they were in trouble. A lump formed in Matt's throat. He made a 'gulp' noise as he turned around.

"And may I ask what exactly you two are doing back here?" he asked.

He was an old man dressed in a light blue nightgown that went all the way to his feet. He also wore a light blue cap that looked like a witch's hat without the brim. It was bent over to the side of his head due to how big it was. He scratched his long nose with his fingers, moving his circled glasses to do so. He began pacing back and forth across the room, dragging his ridiculously long beard across the floor.

He began to wrap his curled mustache around his forefinger as he stopped walking. He looked at Matt then changed his view to Derek. He looked at both of them with a serious, stern look upon his wrinkled face.

"Again I ask you, what are you doing back in here?"

"I'm so sorry. We didn't mean any harm," Derek said.

"We were just looking."

"Looking for what? What were you planning on finding…or stealing?"

"We were just looking! I swear!" Matt clarified. He folded his arms at that.

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"Well…it was just that this place is so cool! And you weren't here," Matt quickly added, "so…I thought we would look around."

"In my private, personal belongings?"

Matt and Derek were both at a loss for words. They both were fidgeting like mad. Their eyes scanning the back room, trying to find a reason why they had trespassed.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Derek, and…this is Matt and um…we're both really sorry."

"Who are you?"

The man paused for a moment. It seemed as though he was pondering the fact on whether or not he was going to tell the trespassers his name. He stood straight up, and took a light bow, and then he focused on them.

He calmly stated, "I am Merlin, the owner of this shop."

"Why would you want to own all this crap?" Derek blurted out.

"I beg your pardon?" Merlin asked dumbfounded.

"I think he means…" Matt said putting his hand over Derek's mouth, "where'd you get all of these things?"

"Oh! Well, I…I don't reveal my sources."

"Come on! Why not?" Matt asked.

He looked very taken aback. He was in complete shock that somebody asked that.

"I'm going to ask you to leave," he calmly stated.

"What?" Matt asked.

"I said you're going to have to leave," he repeated.

Without another word Derek pulled Matt's arm motioning for them to leave. Matt looked back at Merlin. Matt wasn't sure if he had a look of pure hatred or anger, or a look of genuine curiosity.

"Come on Matt," Derek said pulling Matt out of the store. He continued to glance over his shoulder at the shop. Just before the shop became out of sight though, he could have sworn that he saw Merlin pull back the curtains.

Derek didn't say a word as they walked. For a while the only sound between them was the sound of their footsteps. Finally, Derek stopped in front of a bench. He threw his bags down on the ground, collapsed onto the bench, and let out a groan.

"What the heck were you thinking?" he asked. "Did it ever come across that we could get caught? That we could get in trouble?"

Matt had no response; he sat down beside Derek and let out a groan of his own.

"_I wonder what was inside that chest." _Matt thought.

"God…you are so dumb!" Derek screamed.

"I'm sorry! What else can I say? My curiosity got to me I guess."

"Well if you don't mind, I'd like to stay as far away from that place as possible."

"One problem…Starbucks is next to that place. I like ya…but not that much."

"Shut up," Derek said hitting Matt's shoulder. "Do me a favor though and don't talk about liquids. I really got to go now," he said running off to the nearest bathroom.

"_I really want to know what was in that box!" _Matt thought to himself. "_Is it weird? Is it cool? Is it stupid? UGH! I just want to know!" _It overwhelmed him. The fact that he was two seconds away from what was in that box annoyed him so much.

"I wish I could see what was in that box!" he yelled. He closed his eyes and thought about it. He buried his face in his hands. He quickly put his hands down and opened his eyes. His mouth dropped in amazement. He was back in the mystic shop.

"Oooh! What's this?" yelled a familiar voice. Matt turned around. He was frightened as ever to see Merlin staring at him.

"I knew you were a special one," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked a perplexed Matt.  
"Well…you teleported here…didn't you?"

Matt put his hand up to his head. He was very confused. He asked questions inside his head.

"_How did I get here?! What's going on? What did he call me? Special?"_

"You really want to know what's in that chest, don't you."

"Yeah…I really do," Matt answered.

"Okay then." At that moment, he pulled his hands out from behind his back. In his right hand he held a crooked stick. He pointed the stick at the chest in the back of the room and quietly said, "Hocus Pocus."

At once the treasure chest jumped into mid air. Merlin began to trace a path with the stick and the box bounced up and down in mid air until it dropped in Matt's hands.

"You're a…you're a…" was all Matt could manage to say.

"Yes, I'm a wizard! Open it!" Matt didn't do anything until Merlin nodded again.

Matt opened the latch. Inside the decorated chest was a small velvet pillow. Placed neatly in the center on the pillow was an exquisite keychain. It was a weirdly decorated keychain. The main detail when he looked closer was a crescent moon shaped medallion as the centerpiece. Connected to the moon were stars which made the moon seem as if it was a meteor.

"The Dreamscape. Intriguing…isn't it?" He watched Matt as he dropped his mouth in wonder. "Take it."

Matt looked up at Merlin. He appeared to be very serious about this.

"Thank you," Matt said as he clipped it on to the belt loop of his jeans.

"Do you want to see where it's from?"

Written by Matt


	8. Chapter 7 Return to Disney Castle

This follows Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine.

Chapter 7

Return to Disney Castle

The next morning, Kairi awoke to Namine pulling back the curtains to reveal the sun.

"Good morning," Namine said as she moved about the room.

"Mmm, already?" Kairi groaned as she shielded her eyes.

"Yes," Namine replied shortly.

"Umm…Namine, I'm sorry about last night," Kairi apologized.

"It's okay," Namine replied.

Kairi sat up and flung down the covers. She stood up and grabbed her pink dress. She walked to the bathroom, showered, and walked back into the room dressed.

"Hey, why did you shower again?" Namine asked.

"Well…umm…" Kairi stumbled.

"Oh, I know you want to look good for Sora," Namine teased.

"Uh-huh," Kairi whispered.

The two walked over to the boy's door. They banged on the door. "Who's there?" came the groggy response.

"Come on you lazy bums," Namine called. They heard footsteps approaching the door. The door clicked and opened to reveal Sora and Riku in the doorway in their boxer shorts. "Hey, Kairi, that answers my question."

"I guess it does," Kairi said trying not to laugh.

"Wha…" Sora began. He looked down and realized what they were talking about. He quickly slammed the door.

"Aww…come on, just let us in. Who cares?" Kairi said pounding on the door.

Riku opened the door to let the girls in. He didn't seem embarrassed at all. Sora had disappeared to change, while Riku stood there as if he was dressed normally. He held something in his right hand.

"Why do you still have that? Did you sleep with it?" Namine asked pointing to the picture.

"Hmm…oh, uh…yeah," Riku admitted.

"Hehe…it's okay, so did I," Namine said revealing the picture of the boy.

Sora appeared from the bathroom fully clothed. Now Riku went to change.

"So do we agree then? We report back to Queen Minnie?" Sora asked the two girls. They nodded their agreement.

"Then Sora and I go to look for the girl and you two go to look for the boy," Riku added reappearing from the bathroom.

"What?" Kairi asked.

"Now, Kairi, please don't become jealous," Sora said.

"I won't. On one condition, you will not fall in love with her," Kairi said clearly.

"I promise. Although, it may be too late for Riku," Sora said thrusting his thumb in Riku's direction.

"Leave me out of this," Riku snapped.

"Come on guys let's head back to the Gummi Ship," Namine said as she opened the door.

The friends proceeded down the hall. At the reception desk, they turned in their room keys. They continued out the door and onto the street. They followed the road back to the Gummi Ship.

The four climbed aboard the orange ship. Sora took the controls as the others sat behind him. Sora pushed the ignition button and the engines roared to life. The ship slowly lifted off the ground.

Finally, they were in the air. Sora tapped the throttle and the ship responded by turning. He set a course for Disney Castle. Sora deftly dodged oncoming ships and meteors. After fifteen minutes of flying, they spotted the towering castle.

Sora brought the ship down, landing smoothly on the lush green grass. They climbed out of the ship. They glanced around; they saw the familiar shrubs that were perfectly cut to look like different animals.

They walked past the shrubs into a tiny door hidden behind a bunch of shrubs. Through the door, they walked up a set of stairs. This led to a long colonnade. About halfway down was a huge door that led to the Audience Chamber where they knew Queen Minnie was waiting.

"Hey, we had better be gentle when telling her," Sora said, stopping in front of the door.

"Yeah, we don't want to upset her," Kairi agreed.

"We have to tell her the truth, I mean there is no way to lie," Riku said.

"Right, how do we explain it gently?" Namine asked.

"Umm…well…I don't know," Sora said.

"Let's just get it over," Riku said pushing open the door.

Within the huge door, a smaller door opened up. They walked through the door and saw the Queen sitting on her throne.

Written by Chelsea.


	9. Chapter 8 Traverse Town

This chapter follows Chelsea as she ventures into a strange and unfamiliar world. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

Chapter 8

Traverse Town

**"…**Traverse Town!" Chelsea shouted. She couldn't believe her eyes. "How did I get here?"

Chelsea stood up and looked around. She was in an alleyway. There were a few boxes nearby and at the end, she could see the town. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, and began walking toward the town.

From where she now stood, she could see the side of a building, a little café, and a few crooked lampposts. She stood there and marveled at the amazing sight. She decided that standing there wouldn't help her discover the entire town, so she went into the first shop she saw.

The first shop that she entered, The Accessory Shop, was run by little bear-like creatures that were white and had a red pom-pom on their heads.

"May I help you, kupo?" the creature asked.

"Umm…no, I'm just looking, thanks," Chelsea said. The shop was full of what looked like tiny keychains. One look at the prices told her that she couldn't afford any of them. Leaving the shop, she turned to her right and bumped into a teenage girl about her own age.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Chelsea said.

"No, no, it's quite all right," the girl said. She was tall with cropped dark brown hair. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in a familiar way. She was dressed in a green cropped tube top, khaki shorts, white thigh highs, and blue suspenders.

"My name is Chelsea and I am new here in town," Chelsea said to the girl.

"Hi, my name is Yuffie. You look familiar; you don't happen to be one of the… no you couldn't be, never mind," Yuffie said.

"One of the what?" Chelsea asked eagerly.

"No, never mind. Let me show you around town," Yuffie said, motioning for Chelsea to follow her.

Yuffie led Chelsea up a set of stairs and into, what the sign called, the Second District. From the entrance, Chelsea could see buildings lining each side of the street. The sight that was the most amazing to her was the enormous building straight in front of her.

"That's the Gizmo Shop," Yuffie said noticing where Chelsea was staring. "Also known as a bank. Come on, follow me."

Yuffie walked down the left side of the street and into a door. From the décor, it looked like a hotel. There stood the front desk with a little bell and pamphlets. Yuffie walked down the hall and stopped in front of a green door. The sign on the door told Chelsea that it was the green room. Yuffie opened the door to let Chelsea through.

"Wow, this room is great," Chelsea said, taking in the room. There stood a twin sized bed and a little wooden table and in the corner a little green sofa, big enough for a person to sleep on.

"It's comfortable enough," Yuffie said, sitting down at the table. She motioned for Chelsea to do the same.

"So…why did you offer to show me around?" Chelsea asked, skeptically.

"Oh…umm…I just felt like I should, what with you being new here and all," Yuffie explained, fidgeting in her seat.

"Uh-huh," Chelsea said.

"You are a great person, Chelsea; I feel that we can be good friends," Yuffie told her. "Feel free to crash here on the couch for as long as you need."

"That's really kind of you," Chelsea thanked her.

"I think you can find your way around town without me now," Yuffie explained.

Chelsea nodded in agreement. She stood and walked over to the door. "I'm going to take a look around town," she told Yuffie.

Yuffie nodded and began shuffling around to find extra bed sheets. Chelsea opened the door and stepped into the hall once again. She moved down the hall, past the guy at the counter, and out the door. She turned right and headed back toward the entrance to the Second District. Instead of going through the door, she moved past a shop that had many odd looking hats in the window. She moved down the nearby stairs and around the corner. She was in an alleyway. At the other end, she could see a door. She quickened her pace to reach the door.

She pushed it open and found herself next to a small house. She walked to the right and down the stairs. She noticed a strange blue and purple door to her left. Intrigued, she walked to it. She slowly pushed it open.

Written by Chelsea


	10. Chapter 9 Twilight Town

This chapter follows Matt as he is sent into an unfamiliar world. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!

Chapter 9

Twilight Town

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Matt looked down at the Dreamscape and fiddled with it between his fingers.

"What do you mean? Where's it from?"  
"Another world."

Matt was dumbfounded. "_Are there such things as other worlds?"_

"Well…it's…uh," he stopped. He began scratching the side of his head in confusion. "You know what? It's better if you find out for yourself."

"Find out what?!"

"Are you ready?"

"For what?!"

"Okay then."

"Stop it!"

Merlin lifted his wand and pointed directly at Matt's heart. He began reciting another spell against the many shouts of Matt.

"Hidgetis! Fidgeitis! Hockty! Hack! Hoxen! Trixen! Nixen! Nax!"

Without another word, Matt blacked out.

"Hon! Hon! Can you hear me?"

Matt lay unconscious on the ground. He groaned as he came back into reality. There was perspiration running down the side of his cheeks and down the crack of his back. His eyes were fighting to stay closed.

"Are you okay baby?" said a woman's voice.

"Wh…what?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Oh no! I'm fine!"

"Oh that's great baby!" she said. Matt opened his eyes, and looked up at the woman who was shaking him awake.

She was a big woman. There was a tie-dyed bandanna wrapped around her head, with her long, lush, brown hair going down the sides of her face. She dressed in a purple dress decorated with braids. Her neck was covered with jeweled necklaces just as her hands were covered with rings. Her sea green eyes filled with worry as she looked down upon the semiconscious teenager.

"Oh sweetie…I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed as she helped Matt to his feet then planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving a ruby red kiss mark on his there.

"Who are you?"

"Why, I'm Lady Lucille. May I ask your name?"

"Yeah, um…I'm Matt," he replied as he rubbed the side of his head.

"So…I have to ask…how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Well…you just flew out of that wall there a second ago from…like a portal or something!"

At this point, she put her hand out against the wall and put the other on her chest.

"Cutie pie…you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"What?" Matt asked. He double took on what she was telling him.

"What!...You didn't notice!?" she screamed at Matt like it was his fault that she nearly had a heart attack (which it probably was.) "Well sure as heck I did."

"I'm sorry," Matt said just now looking at his surroundings.

He was in a small street lined with cobblestones. Matt walked down the street paying no attention to Lady Lucille who was screaming at him to slow down as she waddled behind him. Matt stopped dead in his tracks.

He lifted his head as his mouth dropped. He stopped in front of the most beautiful clock tower he'd ever seen in his life. It was a mixture of Big Ben, with its huge clock tower and enormous height, and also resembled the Notre Dame Bell Tower, with all its bells and Gothic design.

"Excuse me Mrs. Lucille?  
"It's Miss Lucille, but I'd prefer you'd call me Lady Lucille," she said in many breaths. She was out of breath trying to catch up with the youth.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Lady Lucille…where am I?"

"Why…you're in Twilight Town honey!"

Matt suddenly got very dizzy. He stumbled a bit on his feet when he heard this.

"_Twilight Town? I've never heard of Twilight Town! Is this a different world? Is this place where the Dreamscape came from?" _he thought to himself.

Matt thought for a while before he turned to Lady Lucille.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "Have you ever heard of Earth?"

"Heard of what?"

"Of Earth? Have you ever heard of Earth, or Pennsylvania, or the United States or…or…or anything?"

"Honey…I'm sorry, but I don't have the faintest idea on what you are talking about," she answered. Her tone made it clear: she had no clue.

"So Merlin did send me to another world! I'm not on Earth anymore…I'm in Twilight Town!"

"Oh dear! What are you rambling about now?!"  
"Nothing. Forget about it."  
"Are you sure you're okay honey?"

"I'm fine."

At that moment, a tall man walked out from a nearby street corner. He was dressed in navy blue wind pants with a white stripe down the middle. He was wearing an orange muscle shirt with a waved design etched onto it.

He had a grunge look to him. He had muscles the size of Hercules; he had black hair with a gruff beard growing at the end of his stout chin.

He walked about ten paces into the street until he saw Matt and Lady Lucille. He stared at them for a little while until he lifted his pointer finger at Matt.

"You're gonna get it, y'know!" he said.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Yo, Seifer!" he yelled. "I got the kid who yous got a bone to pick with, y'know!" he said glancing directly into Matt's eyes.

Written by Matt.


	11. Chapter 10 Report to Queen Minnie

This follows Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine as they go to see the Queen.

Chapter 10

Report to Queen Minnie

The four young teens made their way into the room. It was a white room with the only color being the red carpet rolled out leading to the King's throne.

Queen Minnie was sitting comfortably in the velvet seat. She had features almost identical to her husband. She had two huge circles for ears and a beady nose. Her circled eyes glanced over her visitors and at once began to tear.

A crown was placed neatly on top of her head that sparkled as it caught in the light. She was wearing a light pink ballroom dress that was slightly ruffed.

"Sora…Riku…Kairi…Naminé…welcome," she said quietly.

"Thank you, your majesty," all four responded as they knelt before her.

"I expect you have news for me," she said. She stood up and walked down the small flight of stairs to stand in front of the teenagers holding her breath.

All four remained on their knees. Neither of them wanted to tell the Queen the news that they had come to tell.

Sora began to shake a little as a tear dropped to the floor beneath him. He felt a hand upon his shoulder. He looked at his shoulder to see that the hand belonged to Queen Minnie. She gave him a half smile.

"It's okay…I knew that this day would come."

The other three teenagers quickly bobbed up to look at her. They all opened their mouths to talk, but nothing came out.

Sora double took as he heard the words. He turned to look at his companions, and they all had the same look of confusion upon their faces as Sora.

"What?" Sora asked.

"Follow me…I have something to show you," she whispered lightly as she wiped a tear from her face.

She walked up to her throne. She turned to the following teenagers and said, "Don't follow yet."

Making sure that they listened she turned to her throne. She placed her hand under the arm of the throne and began to feel around the structure.

"Where is that button?" she asked herself. "Oh! Here it is!" Sora heard a 'click' and at once the ground began to shake. Queen Minnie ran off of it dragging her pink ballroom dress along the ground.

"What's going on?" Kairi yelled falling to her feet.

"Relax, Kairi!" yelled Queen Minnie standing in place, unaffected by the movement.

"How can we relax?" Riku replied also struggling to keep his balance.

"I'm scared!" cried Namine.

The floor stopped shaking and the throne stage had disappeared. What remained was a flight of stairs descending into the ground.

"Where does that lead?" Sora asked helping Kairi to her feet.

"This leads to the Hall of the Cornerstone," Queen Minnie answered walking down the steps. "Follow me," she instructed.

The four teenagers shrugged their shoulders, but decided to follow. The taps of the heels of their shoes echoed throughout the stairwell.

They came across a big door at the bottom of the stairwell. They could see bright light emitting from the cracks of the door.

"It's in here," Queen Minnie explained as she opened the doors.

They all squinted as their eyes adjusted to the light.

"Whoa," was all that Kairi managed to say, similar to the reactions of her friends.

Behind the doors was another huge white room. It was completely empty except for one thing.

In the middle of the room there was a huge glass ball. Inside the ball though, there appeared to be lightning bouncing inside of it, causing the immensely bright light. The ball was sitting on a small blue pedestal.

Queen Minnie took strides towards it and began to glance very hard at it.

"Can you help me with this?" she asked.

"What is it?" Kairi questioned.

"This is the Cornerstone of Light."

"Cornerstone?…Not what I would have called it." Riku stated, noticing the round shape of the Cornerstone.

"What _is_ it though?" Sora asked Queen Minnie.

"The Cornerstone of Light protects this castle from darkness. The power of light inside it is so strong, that we haven't had Heartless here for years!" she responded.

"So…why are we looking at it?" Naminé asked while scanning the giant orb.

"We aren't down here to look at this…we're here to look what's underneath it," Queen Minnie interjected.

Riku got to his knees. He began gazing hard at the blue pedestal. Frustrated, he stood up saying, "There's nothing on it!"

"Well that's because it's underneath the Cornerstone," Queen Minnie said getting annoyed. "We have to move the Cornerstone first. Now let's do this…Sora you get on that side and Kairi you get on the…Riku!"

When the Queen had started her next sentence, Riku had charged at the orb with full force. It wobbled back and forth for a while, until it gently fell out of the pedestal.

"Ooooh! Help me!" yelled the Queen running to stop its rolling motion.

"What is this?" Riku asked looking inside the dip of the pedestal. Namine, Kairi, and Sora all came over to Riku's side.

"That's the legend," Queen Minnie answered. "It includes all of you…read it."

Five teens by the initials S, K, R, N, R

Must travel a distance where the chosen two are

For the King is in danger, he's in evils' hands

He will die unless they give into commands

For the two evils know that these two play a part

To open the door, to attain Kingdom Hearts

They must be taught how to hex and to fight

The five teens as well so they fit in just right

The seven warriors must be righteous and true

Because in the end they know what to do

For good to prevail they must be cunning and swift

For evil will lose against the Lightbearer gift

"Is this talking about us?" Namine asked.

Riku quickly answered, "Of course! 'Four teens by initials S, K, N, R'…we're that. Sora, Kairi, Namine, and Riku."

"It's five teens Riku…you're forgetting another R," Kairi pointed out.

"Hmm…Roxas…the other R must be him!" Sora replied.

"'The chosen two,'" Kairi quoted. "That must be these two!" she added as she took out the picture of the boy and girl from Riku's and Naminé's pockets. (Both responded with a "Hey!")

Kairi continued to look at the pictures when Sora began to say, "'the two evils'… 'The King is in danger'…Xtmat and Chelesax and…King Mickey…" he toned off.

"That's right. You four must find these two teenagers and Roxas or Xtmat and Chelesax will attain Kingdom Hearts."

The floor and walls began to shake violently at that moment.

"Oooh! Help me!" Queen Minnie Mouse screeched as she raced towards the Cornerstone. They managed to roll it back to its pedestal and placed it back in its spot.

The floor continued to shake, but they were all able to remain on their feet this time. As it stopped Queen Minnie showed a wide smile.

"They have arrived," she said.

"Who?" Namine asked.

A loud crash came from the stair well followed by two voices yelling out. One yelled a noise like, "Blaaa!" and the other yelled out a sound like, "Ayuck!"

Queen Minnie tried to regain the teens' focus by saying, "Remember how the legend said you needed to train?"

At that precise moment the doors flew open as two figures crashed through them and onto the ground.

A short duck dressed in a blue zippered vest with many zippers outlining the detail and had a matching blue hat with zippers.

"We're here your Majesty!" he cheered.

"Thank you, Donald," she replied.

"Yeah! Ayuck! We're here!" said the other. He stood up straight facing the opposite direction from the others. Donald gave him a quick nudge in the side.

"This way, Goofy!" he yelled.

"Oh! Sorry! Ayuck!" he chuckled.

He had a light green zip-up vest and brown baggy pants. He had long black ears and a beady black nose that stood out at the end of his elongated face. On top of his head, lay a pilot's hat and goggles.

Queen Minnie turned and smiled at the perplexed teens.

"Meet you're instructors," she said.

Written by Matt.


	12. Chapter 11 The Fairygodmother

This chapter follows Chelsea as she uncovers a link to her destiny. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!

Chapter 11

The Fairy godmother

On the other side of the door was a small, lopsided house. It was pink in color with blue shutters over the windows. Chelsea's curiosity made her walk up to the house and knock on the door.

From inside the house, Chelsea could hear footsteps approaching the door. The door opened and in the doorway stood a woman, dressed in a long light blue dress with huge, loose sleeves. In her hand, she held a long thin piece of white wood. From what Chelsea could guess, she was an older woman, she had gray hair and her blue eyes looked tired with age.

"Well hello there, what might your name be?" the elderly woman asked.

"My name is Chelsea. I am so sorry for bothering you," Chelsea said.

"Chelsea, huh? I can't believe that you are so big already," The woman cooed.

"Excuse me?" Chelsea asked.

"Oh my, I'm sorry dear. I am the Fairy godmother," the woman explained.

"I'm still confused. How do you know me?" Chelsea asked.

"It's a rather long story, perhaps you should come in, that way we can talk in leisure," the Fairy godmother suggested, moving aside so that Chelsea could enter.

Chelsea walked through the door into a hallway that was decorated in all different shades of blue. The Fairy godmother motioned for Chelsea to follow her down the hall. As they advanced farther down the hall, Chelsea felt a strange attraction to the woman and the house. They entered a room that was decorated in shades of purple. There were strange looking knick-knacks all around. The walls were lined with strange titled books.

Chelsea moved toward one gadget in particular and was immediately glued to it. It was a strange globe in the middle of the room. All over the globe were flashing red dots.

"That's my magic indicator," the Fairy godmother explained.

"A magic indicator?" Chelsea asked, confused.

"It tells me when a child performs magic. That is what the red dots represent," she explained.

"How do the kids do magic?"

"They just think about it. Of course, they must have the magic ability."

"Oh…" Chelsea said.

"Shall we begin?" the Fairy godmother asked, motioning for Chelsea to sit. "Now, dear, you are special. You have an ability that only one other person in the whole world has."

"What is it?" Chelsea asked, impatiently.

"You can make things appear and happen by thinking about it enough."

"Okay…so, how do you know me?"

"I gave you your gift when you were born," the Fairy godmother explained.

"Wow! So do I get a cool weapon or something?" Chelsea asked, excitedly.

"Well…you do get this…now where did I put it…Bibbity, Bobbity, Box come to me," she said, waving her wand. Out of no where a small oak box flew into the Fairy godmothers hand. She opened it to reveal a small keychain with a crescent moon and heart on the end.

"That's all?" Chelsea asked, carefully picking up the keychain.

"That's a good luck charm. It will help you in times of need."

"Thank you; I have so many more questions for you."

"I'm not the person to ask. You should ask YenSid. He will answer all your questions."

"How do I get to him?"

"Find a young man named Leon, he will show you the way."

"Okay, thanks," Chelsea said with a wave. She moved down the hall and out the door.

"_I wonder if she can truly handle the Starkeeper,"_ the Fairy godmother wondered to herself.

Written by Chelsea.


	13. Chapter 12 Run in with the Sandlot Gang

This chapter follows Matt as he is wrongly accused for something he didn't do. PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Chapter 12

A Run in with the Sandlot Gang

"Yo Seifer! He's over here, y'know?" he said as he ran out of sight.

"Oh honey! What did you do?" Lady Lucille asked.

"I didn't do anything! I don't even know that guy!" Matt replied.

"Well, sweet cheeks, that was Rai. He's not the smartest cookie in the jar, but he likes to crumble the other ones…if you know what I mean."

"Not really…what did I do to him?"

"Well…now that I think about it…probably not much at all. Seifer, Rai, and Fuu get really riled up at the easiest of things. If I were you baby…I'd run," she said. "I mean those three teenagers are…" she stopped in the middle of her sentence. She slowly raised her pointer finger. She gently let out a small gasp.

Rai was leading the way from the street corner. He looked back every other step to make sure his two companions were there.

Matt automatically assumed that the medium height girl was Fuu. She had camouflage pants and tennis sneakers. She was also dressed in a tight blue zip-up vest. Her silverish, short hair was spiked; in fact, one part of her hair hid her left eye. She looked robotic as she walked, keeping her stiff arms by her side keeping her one visible fire red eye focused on Rai.

Next to the robotic Fuu was a male of equal height. He was wearing a grey ski cap with the same kind of etching as Rai had on his shirt. He wore black sneakers with matching black wind pants. He wore no shirt, but he was wearing a cape with sleeves down to his elbows. Around his neck the cape opened like a cobra design. He gave a fierce look directed at Matt. The stare was so fierce; Matt felt like a hole was burning through his skull.

"Run baby!" Lady Lucille cried.

"Why?! I didn't do anything!" Matt yelled. Even though he wanted to run as they stepped closer, his feet remained firmly in place as if they were in cement.

The three teenagers stopped walking. Rai pointed to Matt with his thumb as he used his other to point to his chest.

"I found him all by myself! Y'know?"

"Thank you, Rai," said Seifer.

"Are you gonna rough'em up now? Y'know?"

"Total annihilation," added Fuu.

"You stay away from him!" yelled Lady Lucille as she pointed at Seifer.

"Stay out of this woman! It doesn't involve you," he replied.

"It doesn't involve him either!" she snapped.

"I didn't do anything!" yelled Matt.

"Silence, fool!" screamed Fuu.

"Liar…you stole my 'Struggle' trophy," Seifer stated.

"Yeah! We saw with our own two eyes! Y'know? Or…would it be our own six eyes, y'know?" All four other people stared blankly at Rai for a while.

"Rai…how about you just go stand over there until we need you?" Seifer said.

"Okay…but I'll be right over here, y'know?" he said as he walked away. He continued looking over his shoulder to make sure Seifer meant what he said.

"Anyway…I'll give you the choice kid. Either give me back my trophy or you'll have to fight me for it," Seifer said as he pulled out a weapon. Seifer must have seen Matt gasp for he added, "It's only plastic." He then threw a duplicate over to Matt.

"I take it, since you don't have the trophy, you're going to have to fight him, sweet cheeks," Lady Lucille whimpered.

"Destroy him," Fuu commented. She and Seifer continued to be completely oblivious of Lady Lucille who began to shoot insults at them.

Finally giving up she ran back to Matt and put her chubby hands on his shoulders.

"Are you sure you didn't do this?"

"No!" Matt quickly answered. She gazed at him suspiciously for a while.

"Can you fight?"

"What? You really mean I have to fight?"

"Unless you just want to be killed," she said with a half smile.

"Get out of the way woman!" Seifer yelled.

"Get on with the fighting! Y'know?"

"Honey…just defend!" Lady Lucille cried as she got out of the way.

At once Seifer launched himself at Matt. Matt was able to block his first attack by raising his sword, but what Matt didn't expect was that Seifer punched him square in the chest as Matt blocked his first hit.

Matt fell over in pain. He tried to catch his breath as he climbed to his feet.

"Yeah, Seifer!" yelled Fuu and Rai from the sidelines.

"Show'em who's boss! Y'know?"

"Weakness suffers!" Fuu added.

Seifer turned towards his fellow gang members and took a dramatic bow. He stood up straight and focused back on Matt again.

Seifer took another quick attack on Matt. He was again able to block Seifer's first attack, but unable to block his counter-attack as he hit Matt in the side of the head.

"This is pathetic! You're not even a challenge!"

"Defend yourself sweetie!"

"_I wish I could defend myself_," he thought to himself. Seifer than swung again.

Quickly Matt blocked; he was ready for the counter. When Seifer threw a punch, Matt dodged it, and without hesitation hit Seifer between his shoulder blades.

"Yeees!" cheered Lady Lucille.

"Get up boss! Y'know?" Rai yelled as his boss struggled to get to his feet.

"Lucky shot," he said. Tiny droplets of sweat were beginning to form on his face.

Again, he threw yet another attack. Matt was again able to avoid and counter.

Matt quickly dropped to his feet and kicked Seifer's feet out from under him. Seifer fell hard onto his back. Matt took a swing into Seifer's stomach. Seifer screamed out in pain. He held out his hand sword to hit Matt, but Matt quickly knocked it out of his outreached hand.

Everyone watched the sword fly through the air, then land on the ground in front of Lady Lucille. Both Rai and Fuu looked at their boss with panic.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Help me!"

Rai ran forward, followed close by Fuu. He pulled back his sword to swing when he was hit in the face. Lady Lucille held Seifer's sword firmly in her hand.

"What'd you do that for, y'know?" said Rai now supporting a bloody nose.

"You know well why I did that you little demon," she snapped.

Matt stood behind her with his mouth gaped open. He was in complete shock as Lady Lucille spoke.

"You are not going to fight him three on one. Even you brats know that's unfair."

"Well, we won't have to fight him three on one now. Since you joined the fight," Seifer stated as he stood up still clenching his stomach.

Lady Lucille laughed in her high pitched voice, "You think I'm going to fight!"

"Why not?" Fuu questioned.

"Because I don't have to gang up on people who are smaller than me to win my fights," she replied. "I know you guys think you're all that and you vermin have a reputation to prove it. But I'm sure that it won't sound so good to all those people that appreciate you _sooo_ much that the only way to beat one kid was to gang up on him."

Seifer suddenly became very pale. He realized that Lady Lucille was right. Winning by ganging up on someone was much worse than losing to him.

"You're lucky kid," Seifer whispered. He turned around and his cape waved in the wind. "Fuu! Rai!"

Fuu and Rai continued to look at Lady Lucille and Matt with disgust. Then Rai dropped his sword, still cradling his bloody nose, and ran after Seifer.

"Fool," Fuu whispered as she walked away. She threw the sword over her shoulder as she walked toward her gang members.

Both Lady Lucille and Matt watched them as they stormed out of the alleyway. As Fuu walked out of sight Lady Lucille turned and smiled at Matt.

"Why'd you do that?" Matt asked.

"Because you didn't do anything, honey! And I just hate when those three do things like that."

"Thanks."

When Matt reached out to give her a small hug, light applause came from behind them. Matt turned to see three teenagers smiling and clapping.

The one in the middle gave a big thumbs up.

As he put his hands on his hips he gently said, "Good job! I can't remember the last time Seifer took a beating."

Written by Matt.


	14. Chapter 13 Goofy's Battle Training

This chapter follows Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine as they are preparing for the journey ahead of them.

Chapter 13

Goofy's Battle Training

"Hey you two, long time no see!" Sora called waving.

"Howdy Sora!" Goofy called.

"Queen Minnie, you said they are our instructors?" Riku asked. He looked skeptical.

"Yes, Goofy will teach you to fight and Donald will be teaching you magic," Queen Minnie explained.

"You have got to be kidding," Riku laughed.

"What?" Kairi asked.

"They are the two biggest doofuses on the planet," Riku answered.

"I'm willing to learn," Namine said.

"That reminds me, Namine, Goofy has something for you," Queen Minnie said.

"What?" Namine asked.

"But first, Riku, Sora, and Kairi would you please summon your Keyblades?" Queen Minnie asked politely.

At the request, a Keyblade appeared in each of their hands. In Sora's right hand, a long silver Keyblade with a top that the cut out looked like a crown appeared. In Riku's right hand, a blue and black Keyblade with a light blue wing on the top appeared. In Kairi's right hand, a yellow Keyblade with multi-colored flowers appeared.

"Okay, now what?" Sora asked.

"Goofy, please," Queen Minnie said.

Goofy walked over to where Namine was. He pulled a little keychain out of his pocket. It was a little heart. He handed it to Namine.

"For me?" Namine asked. At once after she grabbed it, it transformed into a Keyblade. The Keyblade was purple with a pink heart at the top.

"Yes," Queen Minnie answered. "It's the Heartreliever."

"Thank you," Namine said.

"Come on, let's go," Riku said.

Goofy led the way back up the stairs. Sora and Riku were right behind him; followed by Kairi and Namine in the back. They walked through the Audience Chamber and out into the Colonnade. Goofy turned left and headed back down the stairway and through the door that led out to the Courtyard.

"Here we go," Goofy said stopping in an open area.

"You are teaching us to fight, huh?" Riku asked.

"Yup," Goofy replied.

"But, Goofy, I know how to fight. So does Riku," Sora pointed out.

"Uh-huh, but Kairi and Namine don't. A-hyuck, Sora, you and Riku could use some tips," Goofy said.

"Okay," Sora agreed.

"First, swing your Keyblade down in front of you," Goofy instructed. They each did as they were told. "Next, swing to the right, then left." Sora and Riku swung their Keyblades perfectly. Kairi and Namine had a harder time.

"Don't worry, you just need to practice," Sora said to the girls.

"Yeah, how about hitting these?" Goofy said. He snapped his fingers and four dummies appeared.

Sora attacked his dummy from the right, then the left, and finally over his head. He followed up with the ability explosion. Riku did the same, except his explosion had orbs of twilight surrounding him. Kairi had watched Sora and tried his technique. She swung the Keyblade from the right, then the left, and over her head. She tried explosion, and to her amazement, it worked. Namine did the same. She was amazed that she was able to fight.

"Much better," Goofy applauded.

"How about we learn how to defend," Riku suggested.

"Oh, of course. A-hyuck, silly me," Goofy said. "Hold your Keyblades across your chest."

"Like this?" Kairi asked.

"Yup," Goofy said.

The four of them held their Keyblades across their chests. That was the easiest way of defense.

"I never knew fighting was that easy," Kairi said.

"It's because the Keyblade chose you and makes it easier," Riku said.

"After a few real battles, you will refine the techniques," Goofy explained.

"Yeah, fighting something other than a dummy helps," Sora said.

"Sora never was very good at fighting," Riku said.

"Haha…I got better as I went on," Sora defended himself.

"We never doubted you," Namine added.

"So, Goofy, are we done?" Kairi asked.

"I think so," he said.

"Now we get to learn magic. I have always wanted to do magic," Kairi said excitedly.

"You have me under your spell," Sora said. He walked over to Kairi and lightly kissed her.

"Oh, get a room," Riku said. He wouldn't admit it, but his mind was on the girl from the picture.

"Here's Donald. I will leave you to him," Goofy said. He left heading back to the castle.

"You ready to learn magic?" Donald squawked.

Written by Chelsea.


	15. Chapter 14 A Flashback

Chapter 14

A Flashback

As Chelsea walked back into town, she was wondering, "_Can I handle the Starkeeper? Wait, how did I know what it was called? The Fairy godmother never told me that did she?" _She found herself moving through the throng of people gathered around a shop. Her curiosity sparked, Chelsea looked to see the name of the shop. The intricately decorated sign read:

Le Potion Shoppe

As Chelsea elbowed her way to the window, her mind was trying to figure out what was so entertaining.

In the window, a stooped old wizard with a long beard stood. In a bony hand he held a vial. In the vial, the red liquid swished around. Looking carefully, the label read: Love Potion. Chelsea spun around and began the trek back to the hotel.

Along the way, she passed a man that looked oddly familiar. As he saw her, his eyes flashed. "_That was odd," _Chelsea thought.

Reaching the door to the Green Room, Chelsea realized she was exhausted. She had a long day. She knocked on the door and could hear Yuffie's muffled footsteps coming closer. Yuffie opened the door to let Chelsea through.

"How was your look around town?" Yuffie asked, sitting down at the table.

"Actually, I had a good time. I met the Fairy godmother who gave me this," Chelsea said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keychain. "She told me I had a special power and to find a man named Leon. That he could lead me to a person called YenSid."

"Wow! If you want, I can introduce you to Leon tomorrow," Yuffie offered.

"You know him?" Chelsea asked, putting the keychain away.

"Umm…actually…he's…he's my boyfriend. He stays in the Red Room, that's right next to us," Yuffie explained.

"Thanks, that would be great," Chelsea replied, sitting down across from Yuffie.

"So…what's that keychain called? And what's it do?"

"I think it's for good luck or something. I'm not sure of the name…Starkeeper seemed to just pop into my head, though."

"I think that's really cute."

"Yeah, it's cool. I think that I'm gonna go to bed. I've had a long day," Chelsea said standing up.

"All right, the couch is the best I can offer you, but it's all ready to go," Yuffie said.

"Thanks it will work," Chelsea replied, settling down on the couch. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she drifted into a deep sleep. She began having a dream that felt too real, as if it had actually happened…

"Chelsea, please listen to me," an elderly woman dressed in blue said. "You are special; you have a power that only one other person has. One day, you will meet him again," the woman added.

"But, Fairy godmother, I don't want to be special," a five year old Chelsea cried. They were sitting in her baby blue room, amidst the many toys scattered about the floor.

"You have no choice. You are blessed with this power for a reason," the Fairy godmother explained.

"I'm only a child, how do you expect me to want and know how to use my power?" Chelsea asked.

"That's just it, you can use it now, but after tonight, it will be sealed away until you turn sixteen. After that, you can freely use it, although you won't know it. I'm sorry to say this, but tonight I have to take you to a place called Earth so you can live a normal life. You will forget all about your power, your parents, me, and this city, Traverse Town," the Fairy godmother told her.

"Why? I like things the way they are!" Chelsea protested.

"Honey, we understand that you are unhappy, but you have to go. It's for your safety," a woman with long, flowing dark brown hair said.

"Mommy…okay…I will go, just tell me why," Chelsea asked.

"Here you are in great danger, with your power, you can be used for evil…that's all I can say," the Fairy godmother said.

Chelsea sat, absorbing all this information. For a five year old, she could understand most information that people threw at her. She walked over to the Fairy godmother and grabbed her hand. A mist began to swirl around them, tears streaming down her cheeks, Chelsea waved to her parents before she was transported to Earth.

Chelsea sat straight up. "Whoa, that was too real…had that actually happened?" she asked herself.

"Oh, you're up," Yuffie said, pulling back the curtains to reveal a bright sun streaming through the window.

"Yeah…so when am I meeting Leon?" Chelsea asked.

"He should be here any second," Yuffie said, just as there was a knock on the door. "Speak of the devil."

Chelsea swung her legs over the edge of the couch. She tried to smooth her messy hair. As Yuffie moved aside to reveal Leon, Chelsea looked up.

"It's you!" Leon yelled.

"It's you!" Chelsea screamed, pointing at the man, Leon.


	16. Chapter 15 The Backlot Gang

Chapter 15

The Backlot Gang

"I've waited a long time to see that," he said.

He was a boy of Matt's age and height. He wore a dark green muscle shirt covered by a zip-up vest that was almost falling off his shoulders. He was also wearing camouflage jeans that were probably one size too big for him.

He put his hand through his long, spiked blond hair as he complemented Matt.

"You rocked!" yelled a short, chubby kid. He wore some type of basketball jersey that read 'Dogstreet' with wind pants. He wore a headband in his black spiked hair so that it somewhat fell over.

"You were great!" screamed the girl. She was a medium height brunette with beautiful green eyes. She wore an orange tank top with designs of white flowers going down her side. She stumbled in her flip flops as she jumped up and down, but quickly regained her balance as she played with the two long strands of hair running down in front of her shoulders.

The blonde boy stepped forward; the others followed him.

"Hayner," he said putting out his hand. Matt must have looked at him for a while because he then said, "It's not poisonous!"

Matt let out a little chuckle. It was a while since Matt last laughed, it seemed.

"I'm Matt," he said as he shook Hayner's hand.

"This is Pence and that's Olette," he added.

"Hey," Pence greeted.

"Nice to meet you!" Olette added.

"Nice to meet you guys," Matt said.

"Who are you Lady?" Hayner asked.

"Why I am _the _Lady Lucille!" she replied.

"I've never heard of you before. Did you just move here?" Pence asked.

"Why…I never! I've lived here all my life, hon."

"Are you sure? This is a pretty small town," Hayner started.

"Yeah…I mean…the 'Backlot Gang' knows everybody!" yelled Olette.

"Who's the Backlot Gang?" Matt asked.

"We are, silly" Olette replied motioning at Hayner and Pence.

"Oh sweetie! You're bleeding!"

Matt was struggling to stand on his feet. His balance was very unsteady and the only ounce of it he had was from the sword he was leaning on. He took one deep breath and fell on the ground. All four of the others rushed to his side.

"Just…let me lie here for a while. I'm dizzy," Matt said as rubbed his head.

"Well duh! You're bleeding baby!"

"Pick him up, Hayner! You too, Pence," Olette ordered. "We can take him to the Backlot. He can rest there."

"Lead the way!" they both replied as they picked up the now unconscious Matt.

"Wait child! I'm coming too!"

Matt awoke to the shouts of Lady Lucille and Hayner. Matt couldn't really make out what they were saying.

"He should…with me!" Lady Lucille yelled.

"…hurt!…stay…here!" Hayner replied.

"Sssh!" said Pence.

"Good you're up!" said Olette breaking the awkward silence.

Matt threw off the blanket that was placed over him. He was lying down on a soft green couch decorated with blankets and pillows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked holding out a small plate of cheese and crackers.

"It's not much, but it's all we got," Hayner stated.

"Thanks," Matt said as he took a cracker and stuffed it into his mouth. He began to look at his surroundings. He was in a small back alley corner, but it seemed that Hayner, Pence, and Olette did a good job of tidying it up.

On both sides of the couch, Pence and Olette were sitting on small packaging crates cushioned with small pieces of fabric. On the other side of the room there was what looked like a washer and dryer where Hayner was sitting. Hayner then started throwing darts onto the nearby dartboard.

Lady Lucille had stopped pacing back and forth across the green fur rug that lay out in the middle of the room.

"Here," said Olette as she held out a cup of water. Matt quickly took the cup and swallowed the water in two big gulps. He held out the cup to Olette with a look on his face of pure thankfulness.

"More?" Olette chuckled.

"Yes, please," Matt replied. Olette then walked out of the back room.

"How's your head baby?"

"Fine," Mat said as he felt the side of his head. Matt could now feel the bandage wrapped on his right temple.

"Thank the heavens!"

"We're glad you're okay," added Pence.

"Well…if you're ready hon, we'll be going."

"He's not going anywhere! He's hurt!" yelled Hayner jumping from his seat.

"Yes, he is! I am the responsible adult, child! It's my responsibility that he's okay!"

"He looks fine staying here!" Hayner snapped.

"Why don't you ask Matt what he wants to do?" Pence interjected.

Both Hayner and Lady Lucille stopped their bickering. They both stood up straight, holding their breath, trying to hide their arrogance.

"Okay…what would you want to do, Matt?" asked Hayner. Matt glanced from both Hayner and Lady Lucille to Pence. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he replied.

"I'm fine here," he said calmly.

"Fine!" yelled Lady Lucille. "What do I know anyway?!" she yelled as she stormed out.

"What was that all about?" asked Olette as she handed Matt another drink.

"Who cares?" replied Hayner.

"AAAAH! Babies! Help me!"


	17. Chapter 16 Spying

Chapter 16

Spying

Xtmat paced the white marble floor. He huffed as he walked back and forth.

"Grr…she just had to go and make up that disguise," he mumbled in his deep voice.

He waved his hand and a window-like hole appeared in the wall. He looked into it to see his partner, Chelesax, with a group of teenagers. He waved his hand again and a new view appeared in the opening. This time the view was of a teenage girl.

She was in a town with a huge marble building in the background. She had long, lush dark brown hair. She walked alone through the town. He was very intrigued by this girl. She was the female that they needed for their plan to go through.

He walked away from the window for a moment. "She goes to have fun and leaves me with all the work," he grumbled.

He walked over to a flower that was growing out of the wall. He lightly touched it and watched it shrivel into nothing. His red eyes scanned the room.

"She should have checked in by now," he said. He slammed his fist against the wall.

He walked back to the small window. He took another look to see that the girl was now approaching a door. Nothing exciting. He continued to watch the girl now intrigued by her curiosity. She was walking through the door now.

Through the small window he could see the back of the girl and the huge odd looking house in front of her. Xtmat looked on with extreme curiosity. He was trying to formulate a plan on how to gain her trust.

"If Chelesax can leave, then so can I," he said.

He continued to observe the girl. She had entered the house and was talking to an elderly woman. The woman was handing the girl a small keychain.

"Hmm…so she has received it. I wonder if she can control it," he mused.

The girl was leaving the small house now. She was walking through town.

"Nothing exciting here, I think it's time I go have some fun of my own," he said. With a wave of his hand an oscillating black hole appeared. He stepped into it and was swallowed by the darkness.


	18. Chapter 17 Donald's Magic Lessons

Chapter 17

Donald's Magic Lessons

"For what?" Riku asked.

"For your magic lessons of course!" Donald responded.

"I still don't think you can teach us," Riku retorted.

"Goofy did a good job," Naminé said. "Donald will probably do the same."

"Thanks Naminé! Ah-yuck!" Goofy said. "I'll see you guys later. Good luck with Donald everybody!" he added before walking over to Donald. He put his hand up to his mouth to shield his lips from the eyes of the four teens.

He whispered to Donald, "Good luck to you too. You'll probably need it!"

Goofy and Donald shared a quiet chuckle before Goofy ran off in the opposite direction of the courtyard.

Donald turned to wave. Once Goofy was out of sight Donald turned to look at his pupils.

"Attention!" he yelled.

The four of them stood up straight at once like a line of army soldiers.

"Hehehehe…I've always wanted to do that," Donald said.

"Donald!" Naminé laughed.

"Back to lessons…okay…" he summoned his wand from out of thin air. It was a twisted stick with a little witch hat attached at the end. Donald swung the twig in front of their faces for a little while before he said, "Now…dodge my attacks."

They all looked at each other making sure they heard the same thing. They changed glances between Donald and each other. Donald gave a twisted smile and let out a small laugh before he raised his wand to the sky.

"Firaga! Blizzeraga! Thundaraga! Graviraga!" Donald chanted.

Fireballs erupted from his wand and surrounded him like a tornado before launching at the inattentive teenagers; snow and ice fell from the sky, slowing the teenagers down, and thunderbolts came from the sky and struck the ground with great force.

All the teenagers tried to move out of the way, but gravity began to pull against them making them struggle for movement.

They all summoned their Keyblades and began to fight off the fireballs, deflect the thunder, and knock away the hailstones firing at them.

Sora and Kairi managed to block most of the attacks while Riku and Naminé struggled. Riku had trouble blocking the thunderbolts and continually got shocked while Naminé was very awkward altogether. She was pelted by hailstone after hailstone and her dress was scorched by the passing flames.

Donald stopped casting spells and said, "That was great!"

"What was that for?" Sora yelled.

Kairi wiped cinders from her left shoulder, Riku tried to pat down his hair (which was standing up on end), and Naminé wiped snow out of her hair.

"Well…before you can cast spells, you need to learn how to defend them," Donald explained.

"You could have given us a warning," Naminé said.

"In reality…you don't get warnings," Riku retorted.

"Exactly! That was the point!" Donald screeched commenting on Riku's words.

"Sora…very good. A little quicker on your feet and you'll be good as gold. Riku…also very good. Remember though, defending magic is not always about your strength. Just block the magic! You don't have to hit it like it is a Heartless!" Donald yelled at him.

Donald then gave a look towards Kairi before saying, "Kairi…perfect."

"Thank you!" she said. She blushed as she turned to Sora. She stuck her tongue at him as she gave the 'I'm better than you!' look.

Sora stuck his tongue back at her and then gave Riku an annoyed look.

"Naminé…for the first time using your Keyblade…I thought you did a pretty good job."

"Oh thank God!" she exclaimed.

"Now…it's time to actually perform the spells," Donald said. "Concentrate and release," he instructed as he waved his hand. Four small targets emerged at the opposite side of the courtyard, one for each of the teenagers.

"Fira!" yelled Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

Sora and Riku hit their target while Kairi's fire spell soared above her target's head. They all turned to Naminé waiting for her to cast her spell. She had her hands lightly folded as they were pressed to her lips. She opened her eyes and turned towards her viewers with a smile.

"Um…Naminé…you didn't do anything," Riku said.

She laughed and pointed towards her target. They all turned their point of view and one by one their jaws dropped. Her target was immersed in flames.

After they managed to hit their targets on all of their spells, Donald took them back to the throne room. Queen Minnie and Goofy were conversing by her throne. They stopped and turned towards the approaching visitors.

"Are they done?" Queen Minnie asked.

"Yes your majesty," Donald responded while bowing.

Goofy bowed down as well as he asked, "Can we teach them now, your majesty?"

"Yes…they have to learn it at some point," she responded while walking down. "We should go back out to the Courtyard."

They all exited the throne room and went back out to the Courtyard.

"What are you talking about?" Sora questioned when they reached the Courtyard.

"Trinity Limit…your last lesson," Donald responded. "Stay back," he added.

The teens were taken aback by the sudden order and stumbled to get out of the way. Donald and Goofy joined hands with the Queen.

"It's a very powerful move. You take your light energy and project it causing dark powers to weaken," she explained. "We'll show you, but we need a target."

"Got it!" Donald said snapping his fingers. A cage appeared before him and inside was an unconscious Heartless.

"Trinity Limit!" the three yelled. An extremely bright light emerged between them. It began to move like a tornado swiveling around them until it burst. Rays of light flew everywhere through the room.

One ray hit the Heartless and at once it evaporated.

"Powerful…but it takes a lot of energy," Donald said. "And now since you have learned everything it's time for you to complete your mission."

"Where are we going now?" Naminé asked.

"To find the Lightbearers of course! Ah-yuck!" Goofy cheered.

"Thank you, your majesty," the teens responded.

"Your welcome…now go to the Gummi Hanger…Chip and Dale are waiting for you."


	19. Chapter 18 Meeting Leon

This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets a man named Leon and he gives her valuable insight. Please feel free to review.

Chapter 18

Meeting Leon

"You two know each other?" Yuffie asked.

"Umm…not really. I saw her yesterday and she seemed so familiar. Now I know why," Leon explained. He was a tall man. He had brown, spiky hair that fell to the nape of his neck. He wore a white t-shirt with a black jacket over it. He wore black pants with zippers on the sides and around a belt loop hung a keychain that looked like it had a lion head on it. His dark brown eyes roved the room.

"Yeah, I was told by the Fairy godmother to find you. That you could take me to see someone called YenSid," Chelsea said.

"Oh…that's why you looked so familiar. I am supposed to help you," Leon said.

"Yeah, I guess," Chelsea agreed.

"All right, let's get to work," Leon said, motioning for Chelsea to follow him.

They left the hotel and headed down the stairs, past the Potion Shoppe and into a back alley. Here there were a few crates stacked in a corner and some waterways. The building behind the pair was the hotel.

"So…what are we doing here?" Chelsea asked as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Here, I am going to teach you how to fight and defend yourself and once that is complete, teach you magic. Then you will meet YenSid," Leon explained.

"How do I fight, I don't have a weapon?" Chelsea said.

"Here, take this," Leon said, handing Chelsea a wooden sword. "Okay now the first thing is defense. Hold your sword like this," Leon demonstrated. A long silver blade had formed in his hands. He was holding it across his chest from one hand to the other.

"Like this?" Chelsea asked mirroring Leon's pose.

"Yes, that's good. Now attacking… show me what you've got," Leon instructed. Chelsea moved closer to Leon and swung the sword.

"Wow…how do I know how to use a sword? I have never picked one up before in my entire life!" Chelsea exclaimed. She was swinging the sword like what she thought was a master.

"You are a natural born fighter. That technique is very good. After a real battle and some practice, it should be much better," Leon complimented.

"A real battle? I can't use this…this thing!" Chelsea yelled, looking at the wooden sword with disgust.

"You may not have to," Leon mysteriously added.

"What does that mean?" Chelsea questioned.

"Never mind. It's time for you to learn magic," Leon said, dropping his defense stance. "Concentrate and allow the magic to fill you up. The magic will come to you. Once you have concentrated, shout either the word Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Cure, Stop, or Aero."

Chelsea closed her eyes and concentrated. She began to feel strange. A new power was coursing through her veins. She had the magic. "FIRE!" she shouted. A fireball erupted from the end of her sword.

"That's good," Leon said, dodging the fireball. "With time, your magic will become much more powerful," Leon explained.

"That was too cool! What does Cure, Stop and Aero do, since I am assuming Blizzard creates a blizzard and Thunder creates a thunder storm," Chelsea asked.

"Try it and see," Leon instructed.

Chelsea closed her eyes once again and concentrated. "STOP!" she shouted. Leon was frozen in place. "Whoa! It freezes time for my enemy, cool," Chelsea said.

"Yeah, that one is very helpful during long hard battles," Leon said as the spell wore off.

"Cure? Does that heal me and my allies?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes, that spell, you will find, will become invaluable to you," Leon stated.

"Aero, what about that?" she asked.

"It basically forms a barrier around you. It protects you from minor damages," Leon explained.

"Wow!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"As I said before, the more you use your magic and become more experienced, the more powerful you magic becomes," Leon added.

"So am I ready to meet YenSid now?" Chelsea asked excitedly.

"Yes, follow me," Leon said.

He led Chelsea down the alleyway and stopped near a grated over opening in the wall. Leon stepped into the water in front of the grate and murmured something under his breath. The grate creaked open and Leon moved into the hole. Chelsea scrambled into the hole also. On the other side of the wall was a flooded cave with a boat nearby. At the far end of the cave, beside the moldy walls was painted a mural of a moon.

"Get in the boat. It will take you where you need to go," Leon instructed.

Chelsea clambered aboard and immediately the boat began moving. It glided over the water toward the mural. Chelsea realized that the boat was going to crash into the wall!

Written by Chelsea.


	20. Chapter 19 Darkness Wave

This chapter introduces Matt to a new type of enemy. Please review!

Chapter 19

Darkness Wave

"Help me!" Lady Lucille called.

Matt dropped the cup of water and ran out of the alleyway.

"Should we follow him?" Pence asked.

"Why should we?" Hayner asked as he threw another dart at the dartboard. "She wasn't very nice to us. Why should we be nice to her?"

"I don't know…" said Olette as she bit her lip.

"Matt, child! Help!" cried Lady Lucille.

Matt ran quickly down the darkened alleyway. He came out from the "Backlot" and began looking down both sides of the street he was now on.

"Somebody help!" Lady Lucille shrieked.

Matt continued to look, but saw no sign of her. He heard echoes of her scream growing dimmer and dimmer as time passed and it was then that he realized it.

Across the alley there was a small tunnel. Matt took off sprinting, trying not to trip on his clumsy feet. He stepped ten feet in the tunnel when he began to hear her cries again.

"Please! Can somebody hear me?!"

"Lady Lucille!" Matt screamed as he rushed in the direction which he thought he heard her voice. He came across a staircase and started jumping two steps at a time, but suddenly he froze in his tracks.

The staircase led to a small passage room. In the far corner of the room, Lady Lucille was shivering with fear.

Surrounding her was this black mass. Matt stared at it for a long time before he took notice to the fact that this mass was a creature…and more than one.

He looked at their yellowish eyes and their feelers bouncing up and down on their head. With every second they got closer to Lady Lucille.

Her sea green eyes were welling with tears. She turned her pale face towards Matt's direction.

She didn't have to say anything. Matt bolted in her direction. He was getting closer and closer towards her.

Suddenly, a mass brought him to the ground. He rolled onto his back to see that one of the creatures had attacked him.

He threw it off of his legs and jumped to his feet. Before he knew it he fell again.

This time he looked and saw around five or six of the creatures crawling over him. He struggled to escape their grasp.

"What do I do?" he asked himself as he crawled away.

"_The Dreamscape…intriguing isn't it?" _Merlin's voice echoed through Matt's head. Matt looked down towards his belt loop in desperation.

Dreamscape was shaking like mad and a bright light began to protrude from it.

A loud screech came from the room. Matt picked up his head and saw that a creature had suddenly jumped in his direction.

It launched towards Matt's face. Matt put his hands in front of his face to protect himself. It was then when it happened.

Matt opened his eyes. The creature was gone, but the Dreamscape was in his hand, only it was ten times its original size. The Dreamscape had miraculously turned into a key-like weapon.

"What in the…" Matt began as he held it out in front of his face staring at it with extreme intensity. Matt heard a faint gasp and put Dreamscape down from his view to see that a wave of dark creatures had swarmed Lady Lucille. They were beginning to suffocate her.

Matt ran as fast as he could. Creatures kept launching themselves at Matt's torso, but with one swipe of his new weapon, the creatures faded away.

He continued to swing his weapon, trying to find Lady Lucille. He kept on attacking when he suddenly felt a hand grasp his left ankle. Matt jumped from shock. Lady Lucille cowered at his feet.

"Stay behind me," he said to her. She nodded lightly, and then let her head fall to the floor. She closed her eyes as she let out a sigh.

Matt continued to vanquish the creatures. One by one the creatures began to poof into nothing as Matt took a swing at them.

"Oh my…" said a voice.

Matt looked up the staircase he previously descended. At the top of the stairs, with her mouth open was Olette. Hayner and Pence were standing behind her with their mouths dropped open as well.

"What are they?" Pence asked.

"Matt!" Hayner yelled running down the steps followed by Pence and Olette.

All three of them produced their own swords. They fought their way to Matt's side throwing the creatures off of their shoulders.

They all gave Matt a quick wink as they helped him fight off the animals.

Within five minutes they had managed to vanquish all of the vermin.

Each one of them was gasping for breath. Exhaustion overcame them as they all fell to the ground.

Matt looked down at his mysterious weapon. It began to glow and just as quick as it appeared…it disappeared again.

Matt looked down at his belt loop. Sure enough Dreamscape was attached to the belt loop as if it never had moved.

"What were those things?" Matt asked.

"That was a Heartless," Hayner explained.

"Why were they attacking Lady Lucille?" Matt added.

"Because they feed on people's hearts," Pence answered. "They were probably looking to steal a heart. Lady Lucille was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Guys…I think she needs help," Olette said. She was kneeling at the side of Lady Lucille. Olette brushed a strand of Lady Lucille's hair out of her face.

The three boys slowly inched their way towards the girls.

Lady Lucille had her eyes shut, but her hand was moving at her hip.

"Just let me lie here for a while. I'm fine babies," she said before she passed out.

Written by Matt


	21. Chapter 20 Chip and Dale's Sign Off

This chapter follows Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine as they meet Queen Minnie's Gummi Engineers. Please Review!

Chapter 20

Chip and Dale's Sign Off

"Chip and Dale?" Namine asked.

"They are our Gummi Navigators," Queen Minnie explained. She had now conjured up three seats. Donald, Goofy, and Queen Minnie had sat down.

"Yeah, they are two funny little guys," Sora reminisced.

"Do you mean the two chipmunks you told me about?" Kairi asked Sora.

"Yeah," Sora answered her.

Riku had taken up a seat on the ground with a bored look on his face. Namine sat down next to Riku; her gaze on the clear blue sky. For some reason her mind was on Roxas, her boyfriend. She hadn't seen or thought about him in weeks. She felt guilty about it.

"Namine, are you coming?" Sora asked. He had broken into her thoughts.

She looked over to where Riku had sat to see that he had stood up. "Huh?" she asked.

"Are you coming?" Sora repeated.

"Oh, yeah," she answered. She stood up and noticed that Donald, Goofy, and Queen Minnie had stood up also.

"Good luck, we will be praying for you success," the Queen said. She turned around and began walking back to the castle.

"See you around," Donald said then he turned and walked back to the castle too.

"A-hyuck, good luck," Goofy laughed. He waved and walked back to the castle.

"Come on, let's go," Riku said.

"Go where?" Namine asked.

"Namine, weren't you listening?" Riku asked.

"Actually…no," she admitted.

"We are going to the Gummi Hangar to see Chip and Dale," Kairi explained.

"Okay…where is the Gummi Hangar again?" Namine asked.

"Right behind us through the shrub castle," Riku said. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to point.

"Come on," Sora said. He took Kairi's hand in his and they began to walk toward the door that led to the hangar.

Riku and Namine were walking side by side behind Sora and Kairi. They walked through the door and into a long spiral staircase.

"So Namine, what had you so spaced out back there?" Kairi asked.

"Oh…I was thinking," she replied.

"About what?" Sora prodded.

"Roxas," Namine said. Sora, Riku, and Kairi stopped dead in their tracks. Namine was now a few steps below them. She turned around and asked, "What?"

"Why were you thinking about Roxas?" Riku asked.

"He _is_ my boyfriend," Namine replied.

"Really?" Riku asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" Kairi answered for Namine.

"No, I didn't," Riku said.

"Yeah, we've been together for about a year," Namine stated.

"Wow, wait…that means that I am the only one in this group without a girlfriend," Riku said.

"Hehehe…I guess so," Kairi laughed.

"The thing is, I haven't seen or thought about Roxas in weeks. Today was the first time in a long time," Namine said.

"Don't feel guilty. We have had a lot to do recently," Kairi said.

"Yeah, but what if he is thinking about me all the time?" Namine asked.

"He probably hasn't been through as much as you have," Sora said.

They still stood in the same spots on the stairs. Riku figured this could take a while so he sat down on the steps.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked Riku.

"Sitting," he replied.

"I can see that, but why are you sitting?" Kairi asked.

"I figured this could take a while," he replied.

"No, let's keep going," Namine said. She began to walk down the stairs once again. The others followed suit and began the descent once more.

"So…what did you girls think of our training?" Sora asked.

"I was so surprised that I could actually fight," Namine said in amazement.

"Yeah, I didn't know I could do magic," Kairi agreed.

"You never know what you can do until you do it," Sora said.

"I suppose you are right," Kairi agreed.

"I love it when you say that," Sora said to Kairi. He gave her a light kiss to show that he was sincere.

"Oh, would you two get a room," Riku said.

"Now I really miss Roxas," Namine said sadly.

"Oh Namine, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad," Kairi apologized.

"It's all right," Namine replied.

"So…what do you guys think that Chip and Dale want?" Sora asked.

"I don't know," Kairi answered.

"Are we almost there?" Namine asked slightly out of breath.

"I think so. Only four more spirals to go," Sora replied.

"Why did it seem so short on the way up?" Namine asked.

"I don't know. You would think that it would be longer on the way up than down," Riku said.

"You know, all these spirals look the same," Kairi observed.

"Those Mickey heads on the wall that are the lights are really confusing," Sora agreed.

"Didn't you notice that every time we see another one it is a different color?" Riku pointed out.

"Oh wow! They are," Kairi said in amazement.

"Hey, look! I can see the door to the Gummi Hangar," Sora shouted. He was pointing at a metal door just up ahead.

"Come on, let's go!" Kairi shouted.

They sprinted the rest of the way down the steps. When they reached the door, it slid open automatically. The friends stepped through the door and into the Gummi Hangar.

The hangar was a mass of organized confusion. To their left was the control box where everything in the room was controlled. In front of them sat their Gummi Ship and was where Chip and Dale came racing toward them.

"You guys, you made it!" Chip called in his high pitched voice.

"Yeah, we thought maybe you got lost," Dale agreed. His voice was a tone lower from Chip's.

"So what do you guys want?" Sora asked.

"To wish you good luck on your mission," Chip explained.

"And to give you a surprise," Dale chimed in.

Written by Chelsea.


	22. Chapter 21 YenSid the Informer

In this chapter, Chelsea learns about her strange powers. Please review!

Chapter 21

YenSid the Informer

Instead of crashing into the wall, the boat cut right through the rock as if it wasn't really there. Chelsea let out a sigh of relief. The boat was headed toward a huge tower off to the left. The tower looked very old. It was huge; it had twisting turrets and one large tall tower at the very top. It was painted with moons and stars that seemed to be enchanted to shimmer. The bricks shimmered in the blue that they were painted.

As the boat glided closer, Chelsea became nervous. She wondered what this mysterious YenSid would tell her. Within minutes, the tower was directly in front of Chelsea. The boat gently hit the grass and came to a halt. Chelsea gently climbed out of the boat and onto the lush green grass.

As Chelsea stepped onto the grass, she felt as if a magnetic force was pulling her toward the tower. When she reached the door, a strange looking little creature floated there.

"Who are you?" the creature asked.

"My name is Chelsea, I'm here to…" Chelsea began.

"I know what you are here for," the creature said rudely.

"Oh…okay. So…I'm not trying to be rude here, but what exactly are you?" Chelsea asked timidly.

"Not rude at all. I'm an adult moogle. I assume you've seen a moogle before," the white and gray bear like creature said. It had a red pom pom on its head like the other moogles.

"Yes, they run the shops in Traverse Town," Chelsea nodded.

"Well, I am here to take you to YenSid. Follow me," the moogle said.

Chelsea followed the moogle as it glided through the huge wooden door. The foyer of the tower was circular with a set of stairs that ended in a green swirling vortex.

"Are we going through that?" Chelsea asked, pointing at the green vortex.

"It's perfectly safe," the moogle assured her.

Chelsea followed the moogle through the green vortex. They were immediately on a set of spiraling steps. They followed them up and came to a door. The moogle glided right through the door. Chelsea, thinking she couldn't do that, reached for the door knob. Her hand passed right through it and she was sucked through the door into a circular room. There was a door on the other side of the room. She walked through it and found herself on another staircase. This one was a straight forward one. The moogle was already at the top near a door with a tall blue hat on it. Chelsea sprinted up the stairs to meet the moogle.

"This is YenSid's room. Are you ready?" the moogle asked.

"Why not?" Chelsea replied. She followed the moogle through the door. They emerged in a circular room that was cluttered with books. In the middle of the room was a desk. Sitting behind the desk was a man. He had gray hair and small, almost black eyes. He wore a tall pointed hat that was embroidered with stars and a crescent moon. He had a long baby blue robe on with big hanging sleeves.

"So…you are Chelsea?" he asked in a coarse voice.

"Y…yes…sir…or…or should I call you master?" Chelsea asked nervously.

"Either will be fine. So you are here to learn about your powers and enemies," YenSid said.

"Yes. The Fairy godmother said you could tell me everything," Chelsea offered.

"Mmmm…where to begin…Ah, yes. You are one of the two Lightbearers. They hold the power of light within them. When they meet, their power doubles. Be warned, if the two forces of Darkness capture you, they can open Kingdom Hearts," YenSid said.

"Okay…first, what is my 'power' and second, what is Kingdom Hearts?" Chelsea asked.

"Your power is that if you think and concentrate on something you really want, you can make it happen. Haven't you made something happen unexplainably lately?" YenSid asked.

"Come to think of it, I have," Chelsea replied, thinking back to Jennifer and her ankle.

"Now it is time to perfect your power," YenSid said.

"But how?" Chelsea questioned.

"I will have you concentrate on something and eventually, after a few tries, it should work," YenSid explained.

Chelsea nodded in agreement. She began bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation, "What's first?" she asked.

"Concentrate and will your backpack to float," YenSid instructed.

Chelsea closed her eyes and thought, _"I really want my backpack to float."_ She opened her eyes to find her backpack floating by her side.

"That's good. Now for your weapon. I assume you still have the Starkeeper," YenSid praised.

"Do you mean this?" Chelsea asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her keychain.

"Yes. Concentrate on it and will it to become your own Keyblade. A weapon that only you can use. There are many other Keyblades in the world. Each will only work for its chosen master," YenSid explained.

"Wow!" Chelsea exclaimed. She closed her eyes and thought, _"I really wish that the Starkeeper will become my Keyblade." _When she opened her eyes, instead of holding a tiny keychain, she held a long key-like weapon. It had a silver handle with crescent moons running up the neck of the key. At the end was a red heart with a yellow crescent moon attached to it and blue stars above and below the heart and moon. "It's beautiful!"

"Indeed it is. You will be able to use it anytime there is danger. Simply concentrate and it will appear. It also opens any type of lock," YenSid instructed.

"Wow! I can't wait to use it!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Now your enemies and Kingdom Hearts. I cannot give you specific details about the enemies. What I can tell you is that the two of them, one male and one female are using what are known as Heartless to collect hearts. They use the hearts to help fuel their Darkness. Now, Kingdom Hearts is the heart of all that exists. It can only be opened by having two members of Darkness and the two Lightbearers," YenSid explained.

"Wow that is a ton of information. I will remember it all. Thank you so much master," Chelsea said with a bow.

"Now, I shall transport you back to Traverse Town," YenSid said. With a wave of his hand, a green vortex appeared behind Chelsea. She walked into it. She turned around to have one last glimpse of YenSid. Chelsea could have sworn she saw a boy her age enter his room.

Written by Chelsea.


	23. Chapter 22 The Rematch

This follows Matt as he has a rematch with Seifer's gang. Please Review!

Chapter 22

The Rematch

"Now what?" Olette asked.

"We can't just leave her here," Pence added.

"Can we take her back to your place?" Matt asked. He moved the one strand of hair out of her face as he gazed over her in worry.

"_I wish she's okay…I hope she's okay,_" Matt though to himself.

Lady Lucille automatically sat up. She let out one huge gasp for air. She began panting and coughing as she crawled onto her knees.

"Oh my God! You're okay!" Olette cheered.

Lady Lucille coughed and then let out a long stream of vomit.

"I wouldn't say okay," Hayner interjected.

Lady Lucille began to catch her breath. She wiped the sweat from her forehead then wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you," she said.

Not another word was said.

The four teenagers helped Lady Lucille to her feet. Hayner and Matt both put one of her arms over their own shoulders as Lady Lucille began to walk. They walked all the way to the alleyway without talking. As they walked out of the tunnel, Pence turned his head.

"Oh no," he sighed.

Olette, Matt, and Hayner all looked in the same direction.

"Good grief," Hayner added.

"This can't be good," Olette said.

"What do they want now?" Matt asked.

Lady Lucille took her arms off of Matt's and Hayner's shoulders to look.

"Oh…honey biscuits!" she yelled trying her best not to swear.

Across the alleyway, standing in the entrance of the Sandlot park were Seifer, Rai, and Fuu.

All three automatically began walking towards the group. Seifer led the way walking fast enough to make his cloak wave in the wind.

Seifer walked up to five feet away from the group, and then stopped. Rai and Fuu did the same.

"What do you want, scumbag?" Hayner asked.

"I have a score to settle with this kid, Backlotter," he replied to Hayner's question motioning at Matt.

"I don't have to fight you!" Matt yelled.

"Then I'll just take this as a souvenir," Seifer replied.

He reached and tore Dreamscape off of Matt's belt loop.

"Hey!" Matt yelled as he tried to get it back.

"If you want it…fight me for it."

"That's not yours!" Olette hollered.

"Give it back!" Matt added.

"Why do you want it so bad? Y'know?" Rai asked.

Matt couldn't tell him about how it had mysteriously turned into the weapon it had been. First, he may never get it back or the other result was that Seifer and his friends would think that he was crazy.

"Fine! I'll fight," Matt agreed. "But I won't fight three on one."

"Don't worry…I'll fight too," Hayner said putting his hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Okay, little blond dude. I'll fight you, y'know?" Rai said throwing a sword to Hayner. Hayner caught it with ease and stared at it for a while, then placed it down at his side in agreement.

"I'll fight too," Pence said placing his left hand on Matt's opposite shoulder.

"He's mine," Fuu stated. She also threw a plastic sword, only to Pence. Pence stumbled on catching it, but managed to do so and placed it down at his side as well.

"I guess that leaves us," Matt said. Seifer nodded in agreement and held out a sword. Matt reached out for it and took it by the handle.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Olette questioned.

"We are not just going to sit here, child!" Lady Lucille complained.

"You have to," Seifer stated running to the Sandlot. Rai and Fuu also turned and followed suit.

"I have to get that back," Matt said.

Hayner, Pence, and Matt bolted towards the direction which the Sandlotters ran.

All three ran down the staircase that led to the Sandlot. Matt walked to Seifer; Hayner to Rai; and Pence to Fuu.

The Sandlot gang each held out a plastic sword identical to heir own. The three young teens took the sword and the fight began.

Fuu made contact with Pence's side on her first swing while Hayner hit Rai straight in the face.

At Matt and Seifer's battle, neither had made contact with each other. Each would take a swing and both would miss.

"Oh no!" shouted Olette pointing at Pence's battle.

Pence was continuing to receive blow after blow. He did manage to hit Fuu once, but he was unable to block her counter attack.

Things, also, were progressively getting worse with Hayner's battle. Hayner was managing to block Rai's hits, but when Rai made contact. Hayner would almost fall over with pain. They continued to fight.

Matt was beginning to win his struggle. He continued to land blows to Seifer's back, head, and side. Occasionally though Seifer would retaliate successfully and land a powerful strike to Matt's side.

"Aaagh!" Fuu had hit Pence directly below the ribs. He dropped his sword and fell hard onto his side.

Pence was defeated.

"Pence!" Hayner yelled as he turned his head.

Rai took the moment to his advantage, making a blow to the side of Hayner's head. Hayner collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Hayner was also defeated.

Fuu and Rai turned to Seifer's and Matt's battle.

Seifer jumped backwards and joined them.

Matt stared at Seifer, then Rai, then Fuu, and repeated this in a panic state. He was beginning to realize what kind of a situation he was in.

It was now three on one.

Written by Matt


	24. Chapter 23 A Second Gummi Ship

This chapter follows Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine as they recieve a surprise.

Chapter 23

A Second Gummi Ship

"A surprise!" Kairi yelled. "For us?"

"Uh huh!" Chip and Dale both yelled out. They nodded to each other as they giggled anxiously.

"Well…" Riku said.

"Oh, it's so cool!" Chip said.

"Yeah!" Dale added.

"It's amazing!" Chip described.

"Yeah!" Dale repeated.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"Oooh! I love surprises!" Namine said.

"You'll especially love this one then!" Chip exclaimed.

Riku bent over and put his finger over Dale's mouth to silence him. "We know…we know…yeah!" he said mimicking Dale. "Just tell us already!"

"Fine, Mister Impatient Pants!" Chip shouted.

"Yeah!" Dale yelled.

They scurried past the four teens and jumped onto the tiny control panel.

"Hey Chip!" Dale called out.

"What?"

"What button was it?"

Chip and Dale put their hands to foreheads realizing they forget what button they had to press. They walked along the controls gazing at each button with extreme concentration. Every ten seconds they would stop walking and reach to press a button, but quickly pulled their arm away.

"Oh! Just push a button already!" Riku yelled impatiently.

He walked over and reached out towards the control board and pressed the first button he saw.

"Wait, Riku! That's the…" Chip started.

But before he could finish, the exact moment Riku had pushed the button, the floor beneath Riku flapped inward to reveal a flight of stairs. Riku, with no time to react, fell down the stairs.

"Escape hatch…" Chip finished.

Sora, Kairi, and Namine all burst out in laughter. Soon after, Chip and Dale joined in the laughter. Riku managed to stop himself from tumbling down the stairs, but not after suffering a huge hit to his pride.

He only fell down five stairs, but he suffered a hard hit to his butt.

"Yeah…really funny guys," he said as he walked up the stairs.

"Good thinking, Riku! Pushing random buttons is always the smartest thing to do!" Kairi said dramatically.

"Shut up," Riku snapped. His cheeks faded into a light pink color. After the laughter had dismissed, Chip and Dale restarted their process.

"Well it's not this one," Chip said.

"Nope, definitely not," Dale agreed.

"And definitely not this one," Chip added pointing to a light blue button.

"Or that one," Dale added pointing to the one beside it.

"It could be this one," Chip said.

"No…that's the security alarm," Dale pointed out.

"Really? When did we get one of those?"

"About…two months ago."

"Are you sure? I don't remember that."

"Well…it was my birthday and…"

"Oh will you push the button already!" Riku said getting very impatient.

Chip and Dale looked at the teens with an ashamed look.

They took turns saying 'Eeny', 'Meeny', 'Miny', and 'Mo'.

They settled on a button and pushed it together. At once a large metal door on the far side of the Gummi Hanger began to open.

"That's it!" Chip exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Dale added.

Anxiety overcame the presiding teenagers as they all began to bite their nails awaiting the surprise. The huge metal doors slowly rose making a loud clicking noise every inch of the way. After the doors had finally opened, the surprise was revealed.

Sora and Riku began to stare wide eyed as their mouths dropped.

Kairi and Namine shouted out in glee.

Behind the door was a second Gummi ship. It was the same size as their first one, but that was the only similarity.

"It's pink…" Sora said.

"With flowers…" Riku added.

The ship was indeed pink with some purple beneath the wings. The ship was also decorated with painted flowers all over it.

"We love it!" the girls exclaimed.

"We hate it," the boys mumbled.

"That's great girls…because it's yours," Dale explained.

Kairi's and Namine's mouths dropped open. They began to jump up and down while holding each other's hands.

"We heard from Queen Minnie that you girls are going to fetch the male Lightbearer while you two are going to get the female Lightbearer," Chip said. He jumped down from the control panel and ran underneath the large table.

A few seconds later he returned dragging a pair of keys.

"Here're your keys!" he yelled.

"Thanks," Kairi said picking the keys up.

She walked over to Sora and gave him a tight hug.

"I'll miss you," she said.

"Me too," he replied. "Good luck."

"Get in your ships, please!" Chip and Dale instructed.

"Be safe," Kairi said giving Sora a light kiss before she walked away.

"Bye," Sora said as he waved goodbye.

"Do I get a kiss too, Sora?" Riku asked puckering up his lips.

Sora stuck his tongue out at him and walked to his Gummi Ship.

Riku followed, but continued to make fun of him.

Written by Matt


	25. Chapter 24 Having Trouble

This chapter follows Kairi and Namine as they get ready to search for the male Lightbearer.

Chapter 24

Having Trouble

Kairi walked hesitantly towards her new Gummi Ship. Naminé was standing by the automatic door folding her arms and tapping her foot against the marbled floor.

"Are you coming?" she asked. "I want to get going!"

Kairi noticed her anxiety; she suddenly became upset.

"Why are you in such a rush?" she asked. "Aren't you sad that we won't be seeing Sora or Riku again for a long time?"

Naminé walked over to her side and wiped the tear from her left eye.

"Of course I'm sad we're leaving…who wouldn't?" She gave Kairi a light hug. "Let's just get going."

"_I just want to see him_," Naminé thought to herself.

"Well…go on in," Kairi said.

"I can't without the keys!" Naminé responded pointing to Kairi's left hand.

Kairi opened her palm to reveal the silver key. It made her think of Sora. It was almost identical to his first Keyblade, the Kingdom Key.

She dangled the key in her hand for a few seconds before realizing that she was really annoying Naminé.

"Three! Two! One! Blast off!" yelled Chip and Dale over the loudspeaker.

Kairi and Naminé turned to see that Sora's and Riku's Gummi Ship had started its takeoff. The force of the wind made Kairi's and Naminé's hair fly violently around their shoulders.

"Goodbye…Sora…" Kairi cried.

"Kairi! Open the door!" Naminé yelled.

"Sorry," Kairi said as she wiped away a tear forming in her eye.

She twiddled the keys between her fingers before walking over to the Gummi door and placing the key into the lock and gently turned it clockwise.

With a little click and after Kairi pulled the key out, the door opened mechanically.

They both took two steps inside, just enough for the door not to close on them.

Their mouths dropped in amazement. They looked around at the intricately decorated room.

The entire Gummi Ship was pink…and nothing but that. The seats were pink, the walls were pink, the decorations were pink, and even the windows were pink tinted.

"I love this ship," Kairi said standing still in place.

"It's okay…I like the classic white room a little better though," Naminé commented. Kairi gave her a look as if she was joking and let out a light laugh.

"Ok…I love it too!" Naminé said and embraced Kairi in a hug.

They looked around the ship for a while before they each took a seat in their own pilot seat. Panic suddenly overcame them.

"Kairi?"

"Yeah?

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Naminé."

"Oh my God! We're gonna die!" Naminé shrieked. "We don't know what we're doing! We're gonna crash!"

"Naminé!" Kairi yelled grabbing a hold of her flailing arms. "We didn't even take off yet.

"Kairi! Naminé!" Chip's voice said. "Are you ready to take off?"

The two girls looked around for where his voice came from. Chip and Dale were obviously not in the ship so they had to be communicating with them by some sort of device.

"Push the big blue button and tell us!" Chip said.

"Found it," Kairi said. She pushed down the button and she answered, "Yeah…we're ready."

Naminé gave a look of complete and utter shock. She flew to the control panel, pushed the button, and yelled "No we aren't! We don't even know what we're doing!"

"Yeah…we kind of guessed at that," Dale's voice responded.

"Sora told us," Chip added.

"Great! Now tell us how we are supposed to fly this thing if we don't know what we're doing!" Naminé ordered.

"Naminé…relax. Chip and Dale will tell us what to do," Kairi said. "You will tell us what to do, right?"

"Of course!" Chip responded.

"It's easy!" Dale added.

"Are you sure you'll be able to?" Naminé asked.

"I'm positive!" Chip said.

"Don't worry; we'll fly you through it!" Dale added.

"Fly through what?" Naminé asked suspiciously.

"The controls of course!"

Naminé sat back into her seat taking a deep breath and releasing it as she slouched back into her seat. Her face fell into her opened palms.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she cried.

Kairi looked at her panicked friend. She saw her shoulders begin to shake. Kairi pressed the blue button, but paused to speak.

"Chip and Dale…will you give us two minutes?"

"Sure!" they responded.

Kairi knelt before Naminé and put her hands upon Naminé's knees.

Naminé took her face out of her hands. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were wet from her tears.

"Naminé…we can do this," Kairi said.

"I know…I'm just scared."

"Relax Naminé. We're not going to crash."

"It's not just that, Kairi!" Naminé stammered. She stood up and walked to the rear of the ship. She turned to look at Kairi and wiped a hand through her hair and added, "I'm scared for us, I'm scared for Sora and Riku, I'm scared for King Mickey, I'm scared for her…and him…I'm just scared."

"Naminé…" Kairi said worriedly.

"What's going to happen to us?" Naminé asked.

Kairi paused before she said, "I don't know."

"Why don't you know?… You always know!" Naminé cried hysterically.

"I don't know everything," Kairi said as she hugged Naminé and let her cry on her shoulder.

Written by Matt


	26. Chapter 25 Starkeeper

This chapter follows Chelsea as she learns how to fight. Please review!

Chapter 25

Starkeeper

Chelsea reappeared in the flooded cave. To her right, there was a set of stairs. Her curiosity got the better of her and she moved up the stairs. At the top, there was a door. Chelsea reached for the knob and turned it. She emerged in the Fairy godmothers house.

"Hello again, dear," the Fairy godmother said, startling Chelsea.

"Oh, hi there," Chelsea replied.

"So, I see you went to see Master YenSid," she stated.

"Yeah, he taught me a ton of great stuff," Chelsea told her.

"So, can you use the Starkeeper?" the Fairy godmother asked.

"I'm not sure," Chelsea answered doubtfully.

"Why don't I take you to my practice chamber?" the Fairy godmother asked, motioning for Chelsea to follow her.

She led Chelsea down the hallway and up a long set of stairs. As they went up, the staircase seemed to become darker. At the top of the staircase, there stood a lone dark green door. The godmother opened the door and passed through it. Chelsea slowly, cautiously followed.

The room was large and bare. The only color was the yellow of the walls. There were no windows and no furniture.

"Here you can practice fighting without actually having a real battle," the Fairy godmother explained.

"What am I supposed to do? Just swing my Keyblade around?" Chelsea asked.

"I will conjure up some furniture for you to practice on," the Fairy godmother answered.

"All right, let's go," Chelsea said.

The Fairy godmother waved her wand a few times and a few items of furniture appeared. Chelsea closed her eyes and concentrated. Her Starkeeper appeared in her right hand.

"Concentrate, and then act. It will all come to you."

Chelsea concentrated and began attacking a nearby wooden table. She was swinging the Starkeeper around wildly. Once the table broke, Chelsea moved on to a cabinet. Huffing slightly, she began to hold her Keyblade with two hands as she swung it over her head. "Can I take a break?" Chelsea huffed.

"That would be a good idea. You need a rhythm," the Fairy godmother told her as Chelsea dragged herself over to where the godmother stood.

"I just can't get the hang of it," Chelsea said solemnly.

"Don't worry, honey, you will after more practice."  
Chelsea slumped to the ground and began to massage her tired shoulder. She wondered if she would ever get the hang of using her new weapon. She gently sat the Starkeeper down at her side. "Can I have a glass of water?" she asked.

"Of course, dear," the Fairy godmother said, with a wave of her wand, a glass appeared in her hand. "There you go."

"Thanks," Chelsea said gratefully taking the glass. She gulped down the water in one huge swallow.

"Shall we try again?" the Fairy godmother asked gently.

Chelsea nodded her agreement. In place of the old furniture, new appeared. Chelsea picked up her Keyblade and moved toward the table. She took a deep breath and once again began swinging at it. This time, she did a little better. She swung once from the left, once from the right, then over her head with both hands. She continued this rhythm until the table shattered. "Was that better?" she asked.

"Much, you still need more fine tuning though. It's too late today. Why don't you stay in my guest room and we can continue tomorrow?" the Fairy godmother suggested.

"Thank you that would be great!"  
The Fairy godmother led Chelsea back down the stairs and down a hall to the left. She stopped in front of a lilac purple door. She opened it for Chelsea to enter. The room was decorated in shades of purple. The walls were violet and the bed matched.

"Here we are."

"Thanks."  
"Oh, yes before I forget, you will need more suitable combat clothes," the godmother said. She waved her wand and on the small desk appeared a small, wrapped up package.

"You didn't have to, but thanks again," Chelsea said.

"Sleep well," the godmother said before leaving.

Chelsea was too tired to look at her new clothes today. She carefully sat the Starkeeper on the bedside table. She pulled down the sheets and crawled into the bed. She fell asleep immediately.

"Sweetie, wake up."

"Huh?" Chelsea asked drowsily.

"Time for practice. Get dressed and meet me upstairs," the godmother said. Chelsea heard the door click as the Fairy godmother left.

Chelsea swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She sleepily walked over to the desk and unwrapped the package. Inside was the cutest outfit Chelsea had ever seen. It was a khaki pair of short shorts, a cropped purple tube top with blue suspenders on the top that connected to the back of the shorts and that went from the bottom of the shirt to the top of the shorts. It came with a pair of gray thigh highs. Chelsea slipped out of her skirt and shirt and into her new clothes. She admired herself in the mirror. She grabbed the Starkeeper and attached it to her belt loop.

Chelsea walked up the long flight of stairs and into the practice room. She found the Fairy godmother there waiting for her. "Thank you for these clothes," Chelsea said.

"Of course. Where did you place your old ones?"

"In my backpack, here," Chelsea said, pointing to her bag.

"All right. Sit it down and we shall begin."

The furniture appeared once again. Chelsea, feeling confident, began swinging the already materialized Starkeeper at the furniture. Within a few minutes, not only had she destroyed the table, but also the other remaining furniture. "I did it!" she screamed.

"Very good," the godmother complimented. "You are ready."  
"All right, good-bye, and thanks for everything," Chelsea said, clipping the keychain to her belt loop. She picked up her backpack and raced out the door.

Once Chelsea was out of the godmother's house, she took a deep breath, _"Why didn't I think that yesterday when I was struggling so much. Why right before bed? Oh well, it worked, at least. That proves my powers work. All I had to do was think 'I wish I was better at fighting," _Chelsea thought.

As she entered the Second District, Chelsea heard a scream.

"Help! Someone, please!"

Written by Chelsea


	27. Chapter 26 Lady Lucille's Secret

This chapter follows Matt, but you will just have to read on to find out what happens.

Chapter 26

Lady Lucille's Secret

"Oh no!" Olette whined. "What can you do?" she asked Lady Lucille.

Lady Lucille stood still with her hands folded.

"Miss Lucille?" Olette asked.

Olette then realized that Lady Lucille was mumbling something to herself. Her eyes were closed while her lips quietly moved fast.

Seifer, Rai and Fuu lifted their swords towards Matt. All three charged at Matt ready to swing their swords. Matt stood firmly in place, paralyzed by fear.

"Gravira!" Lady Lucille cried.

Suddenly Seifer flew from the ground and flew to the other side of the Sandlot.

"What was that? Y'know?" Rai asked in shock.

"Gravira!" she yelled again.

Fuu flew to the center of the Sandlot, but quickly got up and ran. Rai struggled to get to his feet as he was supporting another bloody nose.

Matt swore he saw Seifer wipe a tear from his eye as he stood up. He faced Matt.

"Fine! Take it!" he yelled throwing back Dreamscape. The Sandlot Gang turned and walked away as Dreamscape flew through the air. Matt dove to the ground to catch it.

Dreamscape landed neatly in Matt's hand.

"Cura!" yelled Lady Lucille.

Matt rose to his feet and turned around.

Pence was standing up straight and looked as if he just walked out of a spa. All color had returned to his face and his breathing had returned to normal.

"What did she do?" Matt asked walking to Olette's side. He looked at her for answers, but Olette raised her eyebrows in confusion. She had absolutely no idea what was going on. He scratched his head as he walked over to Lady Lucille.

"What did you…" he began. Lady Lucille cut him off.

She knelt down beside Hayner and pushed her hands together.

"Cura!" she yelled.

Automatically Hayner's face regained color and he jumped to his feet.

"A cure spell," she explained. "I haven't quite figured out how to cure myself, but I'm rather good at it."

"Where did you learn to do that?" Matt asked.

"Why I learned that from Master Yen Sid, baby."

"Who's Yen Sid?" Matt asked.

Lady Lucille paused before she spoke. She put her hand up to her head and seemed that she began to think very hardly. She reached into her pocket and brought the item she pulled out to her chest.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, cutie?" she said handing Matt a ticket.

"What's this?" Hayner questioned taking it before Matt reached out his hand.

Taken aback Lady Lucille said, "That ticket is a ticket to the train that will take you directly to where Master Yen Sid lives, sweetie."

"That's so cool!" Pence said looking at the ticket.

"Come on, Matt! We'll take you to the train station," Olette said starting to run off.

"Wait a minute…" Matt interjected, "why are you giving me this?"

"Well, child, after you saved me and all I think it's the least I could do."

"Wait a second!" Hayner yelled. "This is a ticket to the Ghost Train…I've never heard of it," he said looking at the ticket with confusion.

"Oh! Well this is a special ticket darling. This train hardly ever comes to our Twilight Town! That's why I always get a ticket so I can visit Master Yen Sid!"

"I guess that makes sense," Olette said.

"Well, babies, that train leaves in about…twenty minutes! You better hurry up if you want to catch it! You can ask him how to do that spell I did, baby!"

"Okay! Matt, follow us! We'll show you where the train station is," Pence said.

"Um…okay…thank you," Matt said looking at Lady Lucille.

"You're very welcome, child."

"Matt! Come on!" yelled Hayner.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were all at the other end of the Sandlot waving to their friend to follow.

"Go on! Go on!" Lady Lucille pushed.

Matt gave her a tight hug and ran off to follow his new friends. Right before he turned to leave the Sandlot, he looked over his shoulder and waved goodbye.

"Goodbye baby!"

She waved until he walked out of sight. She turned around and let out a little gasp.

A Heartless was crawling out of the shadows and began to crawl in her direction at an alarming rate. She looked around desperately trying to see if there was any person there to help her. Noticing that she was alone, she folded her arms.

"Give it up, Xtmat, there's no one here," she said stubbornly.

At once the Heartless had stood up. It began growing in size and started growing hair. Its feelers disappeared as its hair covered its entire head. It began growing a mouth and nose as its huge yellow eyes began to shrink and slowly began to turn bright red.

It was then when the Heartless's face turned into a grown male's face.

In a matter of three seconds the Heartless had magically transformed into a man.

"You went a little overboard with those Heartless, you know," Lady Lucille said.

Xtmat chuckled a bit. "As did you, Chelesax, with this Lady Lucille act," he replied. Lady Lucille's face automatically began to transform. Her body shrunk in width as her cloak began to turn black as the man's had. Her jewelry disappeared as her hair began to turn blonde and short.

In the same amount of time as Xtmat had transformed, Lady Lucille had transformed into the slim figure of Chelesax.

"I did it to gain his trust," Chelesax commented.

"Well…I think it is safe to say that you have succeeded in that matter," Xtmat chuckled. Chelesax laughed in a high pitch tone and turned away from his view. He walked up to her side and looked at the corner which Matt had left.

"Is he ready?" he asked.

"Oh yes. The male Lightbearer is ready to accept his destiny- to give up his power to us so that we will finally be able to open the door to Kingdom Hearts!"

"And we will finally be acknowledged as the most feared duo in the universe! All will bend at our will to our awesome power!"

A mist of a dark substance began to form at their feet. They laughed maniacally until they were completely surrounded by the mist.

Their laughs echoed across the Sandlot as they disappeared.

Written by Matt.


	28. Chapter 27 A Fight for Pilot

This chapter follows Sora and Riku as they set off to find the female Lightbearer.

Chapter 27

A Fight for Pilot

Sora and Riku stepped into their Gummi Ship. Sora took the controls while Riku sat in the co-pilot's seat. Sora pressed the ignition button and the engines roared to life.

"Do you think that Kairi and Namine will be okay? They have never had to do something like this," Sora wondered aloud.

"I'm sure they will be fine," Riku said.

"I hope so…I couldn't bear to lose Kairi…" Sora began. He looked over to Riku.

The ship slowly lifted off the ground. Sora pushed the autopilot button and the ship began its course toward Traverse Town. Sora swiveled the chair around to look at Riku.

"You really like her, huh?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, I love her," Sora replied.

"So, back in the Courtyard, was that your first kiss?" Riku asked.

"Actually…no. We have a couple of times before," Sora admitted.

"I never thought you would have a girlfriend and get your first kiss before me," Riku said.

"Hahaha…me either," Sora agreed.

The Gummi Ship was speeding past asteroids and other ships. The sky was a brilliant blue and dark purple mix.

"So, Sora, how come you always get to be the pilot?" Riku asked.

"I dunno, I guess I am just used to it," Sora replied.

"I want to be pilot," Riku said.

"No, not now. You can be pilot once we find the girl," Sora told him.

"Come on," Riku prodded.

"No," Sora said.

Riku jumped up and grabbed the controls. The ship stayed on course because of the autopilot. Sora tried to push Riku away, but was not strong enough.

"You never did learn to share," Riku accused.

"Because you always took my stuff before I could share," Sora returned.

"That is so unbelievably untrue!" Riku shouted.

Sora stood up in front of Riku. Sora's blue eyes flashed with anger. Riku always was prone to blowing things out of proportion. That was why Sora was always so careful not to upset him. Riku made another grab for the controls. Sora pushed him away once more. In the process, he bumped the autopilot button. The ship kept going in a straight line.

"Whatever, you could never let me have anything without a fight," Sora accused.

"You have Kairi. I don't have anyone," Riku returned. "Yet," he added under his breath.

"But you had to fight me over her. The only reason I got her was because of destiny. Our hearts are connected," Sora reminded him.

"Yeah, that was my mistake. If I hadn't chosen the darkness, it could have been me," Riku said bitterly.

"You can't let that go, can you?" Sora spat.

"Forget it, just let me be pilot!" Riku hollered. He grabbed the controls.

The ship jerked to the right as Riku grabbed the controls. Sora pushed him off and grabbed the controls. The ship jerked back to the course it was on.

"What are you trying to do, run us into an asteroid?" Sora asked.

"No, I just want to drive the ship!" Riku yelled.

"We are doing just fine without you driving," Sora said.

"We could be better if you could just let me take the controls without pushing me off," Riku returned.

"Or, without me pushing you off, we could end up crashing!" Sora yelled.

"You can be so childish sometimes, Sora," Riku said.

"Just because you are a year older than me, that doesn't mean anything," Sora said.

"I never said it did," Riku returned.

"Riku, did you forget who tried so long to find you?" Sora asked.

"But, it only took you over a year to do so," Riku shot back.

"Remember what you said? 'I didn't want to be found,'" Sora reminded him.

"Yeah, that was because I was embarrassed," Riku said.

Riku grabbed the controls again thinking Sora wouldn't try to grab them away again. Sora sprang at the controls. He and Riku tugged at the controls. The ship careened from left to right. Amazingly, the ship missed oncoming ships and asteroids.

"Let go!" Sora shouted.

"No, you let go!" Riku hollered.

Traverse Town was quickly approaching. Sora and Riku were too busy arguing to notice. Riku looked out the window and noticed where they were headed.

"Sora! Look!" Riku shouted. He let go of the controls only to have the steering wheel to come off in his hand. Riku was pointing out the window to the sight of Traverse Town. The ship was careening out of control. They were going to crash!

Written by Chelsea


	29. Chapter 28 Heartless Attack

This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets a new friend.

Chapter 28

Heartless Attack

Chelsea ran farther into the Second District. "Where are you?" she called.

"Help! I'm near the alleyway!" the voice screamed. It seemed to belong to a woman.

"Hang on!" Chelsea called back. She dashed toward the alleyway behind the hotel. From her vantage point, she couldn't see anyone. "Where are you?"

"Down by the grate!" the voice yelled. It sounded muffled.

Chelsea sprinted down the alleyway until she reached the grates. Just before it, she stopped dead in her tracks. Climbing over and around a young woman were huge black things. They had piercing yellow orbs for eyes and stood on their two hind legs. They had scrawny arms and long feelers on the top of their head that dragged on the ground. Also in that mass were tiny blue and silver creatures. They looked like they had armor on. They stood on two feet and had arms. They had yellow orbs for eyes too. They moved in a jerky manor.

_"What are these things?"_ Chelsea thought to herself. She remembered YenSid's words, 'If you think about it long enough, and want it enough, it will happen.' Chelsea thought, "_What are these things called? I really want to know what these things are called." _Just like that, the name Heartless popped into her head. _"Oh so these are the Heartless."_

As Chelsea stood there contemplating this, the Heartless began moving closer to her. She concentrated and her Starkeeper appeared in her right hand. She began the swinging rhythm she had learned. The larger of the two creatures took more hits until it disintegrated. The smaller took only a few hits. As they disappeared, a small red and pink heart floated into the air and vanished.

After each of the Heartless was defeated, it seemed like another would appear in its place. Chelsea ran through the swarm of Heartless over to the young woman lying on the ground. She had long sandy brown hair that she had pulled up and held with a red bow. Her hair fell to her mid-back. She had a long pale pink dress on and a pair of weathered brown boots. Her lilac eyes looked up at Chelsea filled with worry. Her dainty figure had scratches over her arms and legs.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked.

"I think so, look out!" the girl screamed, pointing behind Chelsea.

"Stay behind me," Chelsea instructed as she spun to ward off the latest attack by the Heartless.

Chelsea began fighting back the Heartless as they relentlessly attacked her. She realized that she couldn't do this all by herself. She began to despair of ever winning. That was when she heard it; her help had come.

"Hey there, looks like you could use some help. Look out 'cause The Great Ninja Yuffie is on the scene," Yuffie declared as she jumped from the balcony above.

"Hey, Yuffie just in time!" Chelsea called swinging at another Heartless.

Yuffie began flinging her ninja stars at the Heartless. Each time one made contact, the Heartless disintegrated in a poof. They each took to fighting the latest wave nearest to them.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they vanquished the final Heartless. "Pfew…that was hard," Chelsea said slumping down next to the girl.

"Here, this should help…Curaga," the girl murmured. A small yellow flower opened over Chelsea's head. She immediately felt better.

"Thanks, my name is Chelsea."

"No problem, my name is Aerith."

"Aerith, long time, no see," Yuffie said holding out her hand to help her up.

"Hi Yuffie, I've been busy," Aerith said taking Yuffie's hand and pulling herself up.

"You two know each other?" Chelsea asked standing up. The Starkeeper had gone back to keychain form. She began brushing the dust off her clothes.

"Yeah, we grew up together. We used to do everything together," Yuffie explained.

"Uh-huh, there was nothing we didn't share," Aerith added.

"That's cool, I only ever had one friend like that," Chelsea offered.

"So what made the Heartless attack _you_, Aerith?" Yuffie asked.

"I have no idea. I was heading to the Fairy godmothers house and they swarmed me," Aerith explained.

"What makes the Heartless attack?" Chelsea asked.

"A heart, they attack weak-hearts or hearts that have turned to Darkness. They extract your heart and feed upon it. Then, in turn, you are turned into a Heartless," Yuffie explained solemnly.

"That's horrible!" Chelsea gasped.

"Yeah, I'm lucky you heard me and came to help," Aerith acknowledged.

"Should we head back to my room to catch up?" Yuffie asked turning around. "Oh, hi Leon."

Leon was heading toward the group of conversing girls. He had a meaningful look on his face. He walked in huge strides. "Hi, Chelsea…I see you are back. Come with me, I have more to teach you."

"All right, you go. Aerith and I will be in my room," Yuffie said.

Chelsea had to sprint to keep up with Leon who had kept walking. "_Where is he taking me? What else do I need to learn?"_

Written by Chelsea


	30. Chapter 29 At the Train Station

This chapter follows Matt as he meets a new Keyblade bearer.

Chapter 29

At the Train Station

"This is it?" Matt asked.

"Yep…this is it," Olette answered.

The four teenagers stood in front of the clock tower. It was the exact same structure that Matt had seen when he first entered Twilight Town. He was entranced by its magnificent height and beauty.

"Are you coming or what?" Hayner yelled from the doorway. He was holding the door open as Pence and Olette walked through. Hayner strained the muscles in his neck, motioning for Matt to follow.

"I'm coming…just at a loss for words I guess," Matt said as he walked to doors leading into the train station. Hayner held the door open for him, but Matt remained outside passing glances at the beautiful structure.

"Get in there already!" Hayner joked as he pushed Matt through the door.

Matt's jaw dropped in awe. The train station was huge. Walking through the doors, the first thing that Matt noticed were the ticket stations. There were two on either side of the entrance leaving a little walk area in between them.

At the end of the walkway there was a staircase that led up to the actual station.

Olette and Pence came over to join Matt and Hayner. Olette had a napkin in her left hand that appeared to have her scribbles all over it. Matt automatically assumed that it was the directions to the specific train gate he had to depart at.

"The guy at the ticket counter said your train leaves in around fifteen minutes," Olette said reading off of her napkin.

Pence glanced at it and pointed to a specific part and said, "It also says that your train is arriving at gate E."

"That's good, that's almost the closest gate." Hayner said. "Come on."

They each walked up the staircase leading to the train area. Matt looked around at the room and began to notice the detail. The gothic architectural ceiling spanned out fifty feet above the floor and had many windows glimmering with the light that shone on them.

There were eight metal gates that led to an entrance level. Each had a colored letter on them, A through H. There were two rows that led to the back of the station. The first row had A through D, and the second had E through H.

The gang led Matt to the waiting area outside the gate. They all sat down on the nearest bench in silence.

"You're gonna come back, right?" Pence asked Matt, breaking the awkward silence. Matt stared at him for a while and then dropped his head.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Will you try?" Olette asked.

"Definitely!" Matt responded automatically.

Hayner stood up and turned to Matt he joked, "You better, you oaf!"

At that moment, the large metal door labeled with a green capital E began to rise. Matt's train had arrived.

"Well then…" Hayner started, "I think you're ready." He gave a quick wink to Olette and Pence and they each gave a nod of approval.

"Ready for what?" Matt questioned.

"To become a Backlot Gang member!" all three yelled.

"Are you serious? That's awesome! Thanks!" Matt yelled as he jumped to hug his new gang members.

Matt's train then started to roll into the station. All four of their jaws dropped as it came into view. It was a strange sight.

The train was a dark purple color and decorated with yellow painted stars on the side. The train also had stars that were attached to the top making the train itself look like a comet on tracks.

"Well…here's adios to the fifth gang member!" Pence cheered.

Matt looked at him with a perplexed look. "Fifth? Who's the fourth?"

The doors of the train opened.

"Roxas!" yelled Olette as she ran towards the young teen standing in the doorway.

"He was a dirty blond with spiked hair. His light blue eyes filled with joy as he hugged Olette.

"Olette! Hayner! Pence! Wha…what are you doing here?"

Roxas was wearing sand colored pants with lace decorating it. He wore a white t-shirt covered by a zip-up vest. The collar of it was patterned with a checkered design.

"Us? What are you doing here, silly?" Olette chuckled.

"Well…um…" he started.

"Go on! Tell us!" Pence asked.

"I'm here to find someone."

"Who?" Hayner asked.

Roxas ran a hand through his spiked hair. He was troubled on how to explain his complication to his old friends.

"I'm looking for…a kid…named Matt."

Hayner, Pence, and Olette all stopped cheering and looked behind them at Matt who was sitting silently on the bench fiddling his thumbs.

"Hi…I'm Matt," he said standing up.

"You're Matt?" Roxas asked suspiciously.

"Roxas…meet our new gang member!" Hayner yelled.

"Matt…meet our fourth gang member!" Pence added.

Roxas and Matt stepped forward towards each other and shook each others hands.

"Welcome to the Backlot Gang!" he yelled sarcastically. Matt realized that Roxas was a little shocked on the entry of a new gang member.

"Thanks…" Matt replied sensing Roxas's uneasiness. "Why were you looking for me?" he added changing the topic.

"Yeah! I'd like to know that too." Hayner said.

"Well…I have to make sure you're _the_ Matt so….where is it?"

"Where's what?" Matt questioned.

"You know…" he shrugged. Roxas tried to explain without actually saying it. He jumped when an idea hit him. He held out his hand and a flash of light erupted from his hand. Matt looked at Roxas's hand. He held a key-like weapon in his hand. Where his hand was, a bat-like design decorated the holder. There was a diamond design was going down it to where the blade was. The blade was in the shape of a crown.

"You have one too!" Matt screamed summoning Dreamscape.

"Yes! This is my Oblivion and I'm guessing this is your…"

"Dreamscape," Matt finished Roxas's sentence.

Roxas turned to face his friends. "Pence…Olette…Hayner…" he started. He wiped away a fresh tear from his face. "I'm sorry…but I have to leave again."

"What?!" yelled the three.

"Why?" Olette asked starting to cry herself.

"I have to go back," he said as he wiped away another tear.

"Why?" Pence asked.

"Why can't you stay?" Hayner added.

"I just do!" Roxas stammered. They all backed off. They all could tell Roxas didn't want to talk about it and he wasn't very happy about it.

Roxas wiped his eyes as he held out a ticket.

"Here's your ticket, Matt."

"I already have one through." Matt said. His Dreamscape returned to normal size as he searched for his ticket. "See," he said as he produced the ticket Lady Lucille had given him.

Roxas looked dumbfounded. "How'd you get one?!"

"Ghost Train! All aboard!" yelled a voice.

"I guess you guys better go then." Hayner said as he stormed away.

"Hayner! Wait!" Roxas started to run after him. Roxas was pulled back by Olette.

"Don't worry about him. He's just upset," Olette explained as she hugged Roxas then Matt. "Be safe, okay?"

"Come home soon guys," Pence added he placed a hand on each of their backs.

"We'll try. Right Matt?" Roxas added.

"I guess," Matt agreed. He still was confused on why Roxas came to 'find' him.

"Tickets please!" yelled the man.

The friends exchanged their goodbyes as the door closed. Matt and Roxas each took a seat on the purple benches on opposite sides.

"So…you want to tell me how you got that ticket?" Roxas said breaking the awkward silence.

"It's a long story," Matt responded.

"It's a long ride."

Written by Matt


	31. Chapter 30 Arriving at Twilight Town

This chapter follows Kairi and Namine as they set off to find the male Lightbearer.

Chapter 30

Arriving At Twilight Town

"Unless we go…we won't find out," Kairi said.

"Maybe I don't want to find out then," Naminé responded.

"Okay then…go," Kairi said.

Naminé gave Kairi a suspicious look. She began to stop crying.

"What?" she asked.

"There's the door…leave," Kairi answered. "But I'm going with or without you."

Kairi walked over to her pilot chair and buckled into her seat.

"They need us and if you can't see that…" she said.

Naminé stood still in place for a while before she finally walked over to her own seat and sat down next to Kairi.

Kairi turned and gave Naminé a light smile.

"Thanks for coming."

"_How does she do it?_" Naminé thought. "_She persuades me every time I don't want to do something. She does this every time I don't want to do something, and she knows it._"

Kairi pushed the blue button before her and said, "We're ready now."

"Great!" Chip yelled.

"Yeah!" Dale added.

"What do we do?" Kairi asked.

"Don't worry!" Chip yelled.

"We'll guide you through it!" Dale added.

"Okay…" Naminé said putting her trust into two tiny chipmunks.

"First, put the keys into the ignition," Chip said.

"Duh," Kairi said commenting on her stupidity as she turned the key.

"Then, Kairi, push the four flashing buttons above you," Chip added.

Kairi followed his instructions as Dale yelled of directions for Naminé.

"Pull the green lever, then the pink one," Dale said.

Naminé shook as she followed his directions.

They continued to follow the chipmunks' directions for five minutes until the Gummi Ship started to rise up off the floor.

"Finally, Naminé…push forward the third dial on your right," Chip instructed. "This is your accelerator basically."

Naminé, without looking, pushed a dial. The ship started flying in reverse.

"The third one! Not the second one!" Dale yelled.

Naminé quickly corrected her mistake and the ship launched forward.

"Pull the wheel back! Pull the wheel back!" Chip and Dale yelled.

The scenery of the Gummi Hanger changed to the view of the courtyard.

Both Kairi and Naminé screamed as the ship's front end rose. Before they knew it they were sailing among the stars.

Kairi and Naminé remained silent for a long time.

"Oh my God…" Kairi started. "We did it!"

Naminé sat in her chair speechless. Her face was a light green color and the look on her face was one of pure disgust.

"Naminé…"

"I need an air sickness bag," she said as she ran to the ship's bathroom.

Kairi muffled a laugh and turned back to the ship's controls.

Naminé returned five minutes later her face flushed. She sat down and took light breaths.

"Feeling better?" Kairi asked.

"Much," Naminé responded. "How are things going in here?"

"A little better, not much…but better."

"Sorry. Anything I can do to make it better?"

"Yes, actually," Kairi responded. "I remember that Sora would put in the coordinates of our destination and the autopilot would take over."

"So?" Naminé questioned more confused than before.

"So…find the coordinates for Twilight Town and plug them in!" Kairi explained. She pointed to the starboard side of the ship where a huge map of the galaxy they were in was laid out.

"I didn't know that was on here," she said.

"I spotted it when I turned to look after you. I guess that Chip and Dale thought ahead for us."

"Can't you just ask them the coordinates?" Naminé queried.

"I already tried that. We must be out of range…they're not responding."

"Okay…guess I'll do that then," Naminé said. She began to look around the map.

Kairi let out a loud yelp. A meteor had flown into the side of the ship causing her to tilt the wheel to the side. Naminé, without any support, fell over and rolled to the side of the ship.

Naminé fixed her skirt and said, "Keep it steady, will you?"

"Sorry…my bad," Kairi responded with a half smile.

Naminé walked back over to the map and groaned, "I can't read this."

"Why not?"

"I don't understand it!"

Kairi sighed loudly and called over to Naminé, "Come over here! I'll do it!"

Kairi took her way over to the map and quickly pointed out where the town was.

"Look…Twilight Town is due east so the coordinates are…" she started. She wrote them down on a piece of paper that she produced from the nearby desk. She then walked over and scanned the control panel.

"What's wrong?" Naminé asked.

"I don't know which one's the autopilot."

"I think this is it…" Naminé said pushing a button.

A launching noise came from the ship as they noticed a missile come into their view. It went straight to a nearby star and caused it to explode on contact. Kairi and Naminé stared into space with shock.

"That wasn't the autopilot," Kairi said.

"Maybe we should just drive there," Naminé suggested.

"Good idea," Kairi agreed.

Kairi and Naminé sat still in silence for the rest of the ride, occasionally switching spots to drive so the other could sleep. After a couple of hours of driving Kairi yelled for Naminé to wake up.

"I'm up!" she yawned.

"You better be! We're here!"

Written by Matt


	32. Chapter 31 An Idea

This chapter shows Xtmat as he makes plans.

Chapter 31

An Idea

Xtmat appeared in a small house in Traverse Town. From here he could stay hidden while still observing the girl. He waved his hand and the window-like opening appeared again. He looked into it again and saw the girl meet a man. The man had long brown hair and wielded a long sword.

He observed her learning to fight and cast spells. "She won't be much of a threat like that," he laughed.

She had now climbed aboard a boat. The boat took her to a crooked tower. She disembarked and climbed to the top of the tower with a little creature as her companion. They reached the top and entered the last door.

Xtmat recognized the man. He is the teacher that he had heard tell about. Fearing that their plans would be ruined by this man, he disappeared.

He reappeared behind the girl who hadn't noticed his presence. The man at the desk did, though. The elderly man let out a slight gasp at the sight of the man.

The elderly man recognized Xtmat and decided to hold off on telling the girl all of the information he knew. If he didn't, he was afraid that Xtmat would kill him.

Xtmat nodded at the man. He knew that he had gotten his point across. He no longer feared that their plans would be ruined. He disappeared and reappeared in the small house.

He continued to watch the girl. Every now and then he would switch the view to another teenager-a boy in another town.

"What is she waiting for?" he growled.

He switched his view back to the girl. She was now back in Traverse Town. She was racing into an alleyway. In front of the girl were hundreds of Heartless attacking a young girl.

"Chelesax, you went a little overboard with those Heartless," he mumbled.

He observed the girl fight off the Heartless. He noticed that she had learned to use her Keyblade. A new girl entered into the picture and helped the first girl fight off the Heartless.

"I've got an idea," he murmured. He disappeared.

Xtmat reappeared in the alleyway where the girl was. He began moving down the dark alleyway with single minded determination. An evil smile played across his face as he was swallowed up by the darkness.

Written by Chelsea


	33. Chapter 32 Two Leons?

This chapter follows Chelsea as she learns more advance attacks.

Chapter 32

Two Leon's?

Leon kept up the pace even after Chelsea had caught up. They walked in silence for a long time. He led her up this alleyway and down another one. After, what seemed to Chelsea like going up the same alleyway for the fifth time, they stopped.

"What more do you have to teach me?" Chelsea asked.

"I want to teach you how to do combos. They are a more powerful form of a physical attack or can be used as defensive," Leon explained.

Chelsea looked at Leon in confusion. She had a vague idea of what he was saying. Though, faintly, Chelsea felt as if something was wrong. She quickly dismissed the idea. She trusted Leon; after all, he is Yuffie's boyfriend.

"I'm a little fuzzy about what you mean," Chelsea said. She leaned against one of the brick walls.

"If you learn combos, defeating the larger Heartless will be no problem," Leon explained.

"Well then let's get a move on," Chelsea said.

"If you say so… you seem rather eager today," Leon answered.

"Well combos sound good to use," Chelsea replied.

"I think you will find them to be most invaluable," Leon said mysteriously.

Chelsea looked over from where she stood against the wall. She was still suspicious of Leon. Something was still nagging her. She wanted to learn combos, but she wasn't sure she trusted Leon. It was like a sixth sense telling her not to trust him.

"So…what are you teaching me first?" Chelsea asked, standing up straight.

"First, it will be aerial recovery. This is more defensive, if you are knocked down, hold the Starkeeper and think the words: aerial recovery. Then you will sort of spin jump in mid air and land on your feet," Leon explained.

"Okay…how do you expect me to practice that?" Chelsea asked.

"I will hit you to make you fall over," Leon explained.

"Whoa…you aren't going to actually hurt me, right?" Chelsea asked quickly.

"No…I'm going to use the wooden sword," Leon added.

Leon pulled out the wooden sword and advanced toward Chelsea. The Starkeeper materialized in her right hand. Leon raised the sword and swung it to the right. Chelsea didn't know if she should defend herself or not. She decided not to and to just take the pain. Leon swung and hit Chelsea on her left arm. She began falling. Chelsea closed her eyes and thought the words: _aerial recovery._ She sprang up and did a mid air back flip and landed on her feet.

"That's it," Leon complimented.

"That was amazing!" Chelsea screamed.

Chelsea was still in awe of what had just happened. She couldn't believe she had such ability.

"Next, I will teach you the technique explosion. It surrounds you with a powerful light that damages all enemies around you," Leon explained.

"Sweet!" Chelsea yelled.

"All you need to do is hold the Starkeeper in front of you with both hands," Leon instructed.

"Like this?" Chelsea asked imitating what Leon had told her. As she placed the Starkeeper in front of her, a wall of light surrounded her. "That is a good ability to have."

"You will find that ability invaluable too," Leon said.

"What's the next one? Offensive or defensive?" Chelsea asked.

"Maybe…no that wouldn't be fair…" Leon began.

"What?" Chelsea asked eagerly.

"You could have this," Leon said holding out his hand. A keychain was sitting in his palm.

"Really? What is it?" Chelsea asked.

"It's the Sleeping Lion Keyblade. You, in extreme circumstances, could be able to use both the Sleeping Lion and the Starkeeper. Also you can use both of them in normal circumstances if you concentrate twice as hard," Leon said.

"Thank you," Chelsea said taking the keychain out of his palm.

"Now concentrate on both Keyblades," Leon instructed.

Chelsea closed her eyes and in her left hand, she held a silver Keyblade with a three leaf clover on the top. She still held the Starkeeper in her right hand.

"Oh…wow…" Chelsea began. She was completely speechless. She never felt quite so powerful.

"That's all I can teach you," Leon said.

"Thank…Leon? What's going on here?" Chelsea demanded. She had looked down the alleyway and saw Leon approaching.

"Huh?" the first Leon asked.

"You imposter! How dare you impersonate me!" the second Leon hollered.

"What's happening here?" Chelsea asked.

"I'm not Leon," the first 'Leon' said mysteriously. The man now standing in front of Chelsea was tall with spiky black hair and red eyes. "My name is Xtmat."

"What?" Chelsea asked.

"You know too much already. You will find everything out eventually," Xtmat said, then disappeared.

"Leon, do you still have your keychain?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Look…" Chelsea began, holding out the keychain Xtmat had given her.

"Huh, oh well…" Leon trailed off.

"Well, I'm going to head back to Yuffie's and go to bed," Chelsea said as she walked slowly away.

"Hmm…I wonder…" Leon mused to himself.

Written by Chelsea


	34. Chapter 33 Aurora's Fairies

This chapter follows Matt as he meets a young princess.

Chapter 33

Aurora's Fairies

After the long talk they had, both Roxas and Matt fell asleep on the cushioned seats. It had been a long time since either one of them had the opportunity to sleep, so they took full advantage.

"Wake up, Matt!" Roxas yawned loudly. "We're here."

Matt let out a small groan as he got up. Somehow he had managed to fall to the floor as he slept.

"Where are we?" Matt yawned as he stood up.

"The Spiral Tower. The home of Master Yen Sid."

"So…he lives here," Matt said looking out the window.

Outside the train window there was a huge tower shaped in a spiral curve. The building was so tall it seemed like it never stopped spiraling into the sky.

"Are you coming?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah…I'm coming."

Matt followed Roxas out of the train. They both walked up to the castle doorway climbing the small level of intricate steps that led them there.

It took great strength to open the massive door, but with the combined efforts of Roxas and Matt, they were able to open the door.

They both jumped from shock. Inside the doorway was a beautiful young woman. Her dirty blond hair grew down to her hips. She wore a long pink dress with a red bow tied around her waist. There was a golden tiara placed on top of her head.

"Princess Aurora!" Roxas exclaimed. He took a light bow and motioned for Matt to do the same.

"Hello Roxas…Master Yen Sid wished to see you for a moment," she said cheerfully.

"Right away…thank you," he said bowing again. Roxas quickly glanced at Matt.

"Good luck, Matt," he said before running up the spiral staircase.

"For what?" Matt asked.

"You'll find out soon!" he yelled before he disappeared.

"What the?!" Matt yelled out in shock. He continued to stare into complete oblivion. He was in shock. "How did… he…how," he stuttered as he looked at Princess Aurora to answer him. "He just disappeared!"

She let out a light giggle as she explained, "He just walked into a vortex. There're tons of them around here! That's usually how we get around in this place."

"Okay…" Matt said, still not convinced.

"We've been expecting you Lightbearer," she said.

"What'd you say?" Matt asked.

"My fairies and I have been expecting you," she repeated. She turned at that moment and began walking towards the vortex where Roxas had disappeared. She motioned for Matt to follow as she stepped into it.

Matt stood still for a while before he did anything.

"He began to think, "Why was she _expecting_ me? Should I follow her?…I guess the only way to find out is to follow her."

He closed his eyes as he stepped through the vortex. He felt a rush of wind come over him, but it quickly stopped. He fell hard onto the floor as it stopped.

"Oh! You're here!" yelled a matronly voice.

Matt opened his eyes to see three short women. They were all dressed in gowns, but different colored gowns. They also each wore a pointed hat held on their head by a cloth that tied underneath their chins.

The brunette woman dressed in red stepped forward and said, "Hello, Matthew. I'm Flora."

The skinny gray haired woman dressed in green then stepped forward. She was slightly taller than the first one. "Hello. I'm Fonda, my dear."

"And I'm Merryweather!" yelled a short heavyset woman dressed in blue. Her black hair was folded neatly in a bun on top of her chubby face.

"Hello," Matt greeted.

"The women shared smiles between each other and they all started to cry, as if on cue.

"Oh! Can I hug him?" asked Merryweather.

"Yes, you may," Flora answered.

Merryweather burst in to tears as she flew to Matt. It was then when Matt realized that they all had wings.

"You must be Princess Aurora's fairies," Matt assumed.

"Why yes dear. We are," Flora said.

"We're your fairies too, dearie," Fonda added.

"What?" Matt asked as if he heard her wrong.

"Oh! It's been so long!"

"I'm sorry…but what's going on?" Matt asked.

"Merryweather…you've hugged him long enough. You can let go," Flora joked.

"Oh! Sorry," she said as she flew back.

"How old are you now, Matt?" Fonda asked.

"I'm seventeen," Matt answered.

The three fairies exchanged glances as they cried harder than before.

"Twelve years," Flora said.

"I'm sorry, but I still have no idea what you're talking about!" Matt exclaimed.

"You better sit down…this is a long story," Flora stated.

Matt sat down in the chair that Flora had conjured up for him. They all surrounded him and sat down in chairs they had conjured up for themselves.

Flora put one hand on Matt's knee as she started, "About twelve years ago you were brought here. Matt…you are a very special child. You have a special power that only one other person has."

Fonda interrupted saying, "Have you ever wished for something and then it happened?"

"No," Matt said automatically. Then he began to think hard about it. "Actually…yeah…I have."

Flora went on to say, "You share this particular gift with only one other person and around twelve years ago you were going to meet her here."

Merryweather interrupted this time saying, "When you two would be together, a great power could be achieved. That's why you two were being brought together.

"But of course…with every powerful gift, there is always someone out there trying to steal it. A powerful duo, Xtmat and Chelesax, tried to steal your power when you met this girl. Thankfully they failed. Neither of you were hurt."

"Even though they failed, we had to make sure that they wouldn't try again until you were ready to defend yourself," Fonda said.

"So we each had to put a protective spell on you," Merryweather said.

"I had to wipe your memory of the experience," Fonda said.

"I transported you both to different places, making sure that you would never be in contact with each other until you were ready," Merryweather added.

"And I gave you the ability to control your gift. This is the reason Master Yen Sid wants to see you," Flora said.

Matt sat with his mouth hanging open.

"We know it's a lot to handle, but Master Yen Sid is waiting," Flora said.

"But first a makeover!" Merryweather screamed. She swirled her wand before pointing it at Matt. He was swarmed with a puff of smoke and as it disappeared, Matt noticed the change in his clothing.

His jeans and t-shirt were no longer what he was wearing. He wore long blue cargo shorts with many zipped pockets. He was wearing a zip-up blue leather vest that had a hood going down Matt's back. The vest was unzipped revealing the light blue muscle shirt with an etching of Dreamscape on it.

"Nice…but this is better," Flora said flicking her wand. Instantly, Matt's clothes turned pink.

"No! Blue!" yelled Merryweather changing them back to blue.

"Pink!"

"Blue!"

"Pink!"

"Guys! How about black?" Matt interjected stopping the fight.

Flora and Merryweather stopped arguing at once and began to look ashamed.

"Great idea, honey!" Fonda responded by turning them black.

"Awesome," said Matt admiring his new look.

"Master Yen Sid is waiting for you behind that door," Flora pointed out.

Matt walked cautiously over while the fairies urged him. He reached for the handle and turned it. The door opened making the conversation behind the door heard.

"Thank you so much Master!" said a girl.

"Now I shall transport you back to Traverse Town!" yelled a man.

Matt stuck his head inside. He could have sworn the girl was looking at him as she vanished.

Written by Matt.


	35. Chapter 34 Crash Landing

This chapter follows Sora and Riku as they crash their ship.

Chapter 34

Crash Landing

"Way to go! Now we are going to crash!" Sora hollered.

"It's not my fault. You were the one who wouldn't let me be pilot," Riku shot back.

"You are the one who had to fight over the controls," Sora returned.

The ship continued to spiral out of control. Traverse Town continued to approach quickly. The ship began to descend at an alarming rate. The ship bounced off asteroids, then began to smoke.

"Great, now we really are going to crash!" Riku shouted.

The ship began to skim over the tree tops of Traverse Town. Finally, it hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Sora and Riku climbed out of the ship unscathed.

"Perfect, now we have no ship!" Sora shouted. He walked around the ship surveying the damage.

"Well it was your fault," Riku said.

"I'm not the one with the steering wheel in my hand," Sora pointed out.

Riku quickly dropped the steering wheel into the ship. "No, but, at least we are in Traverse Town," he said.

They were in a whole new part of Traverse Town. Here, there were trees and houses. Sora, who had been there before, thought they had crashed into part of the Third District.

"I think we are just a little way away from the Third District," Sora stated.

"I wouldn't know," Riku replied.

"I am pretty sure, let's go and see where we are," Sora said. He began walking away from the ship.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku called. Sora stopped and turned around to face Riku.  
"What?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," Riku mumbled.

"I can't hear you!" Sora called back.

Riku took a deep breath and yelled, "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, I should have let you be pilot instead of trying to make everything go my way," Sora returned.

Riku walked over to where Sora was standing. He held out his hand and said, "Friends?"

"Friends," Sora agreed taking Riku's hand and shaking it.

"So, what do we do about our ship?" Riku asked. He looked at the ship with disgust.

"Umm…how about going to find Cid?" Sora suggested.

"Cid?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, he's the Gummi Ship Engineer. He can fix it," Sora explained.

"Well, let's go find him," Riku said. He began walking forward. Sora walked at his side. They had taken ten steps when they heard an explosion. They spun around to see what had happened. They turned just in time to see the Gummi Ship burst into a plume of smoke.

"We did a good job crashing, huh?" Sora joked.

"I guess so. Maybe we better go and find Cid quickly," Riku suggested.

They began to sprint in the general direction of town. They definitely crashed in the Third District. They finally came to the wide open area of the Third District. They skidded to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Look!" Sora shouted. He was pointing up ahead.

"What?" Riku asked looking where Sora was pointing.

Up ahead, on the sidewalk, stood a huge Heartless. It had a round body that was protected in the front by a shield. Its tiny head had a hat on with two beady yellow eyes peeking out. On its arms, it had chains. From what they could tell, it had broken free of whatever was holding it.

"Holy…I have never seen a Heartless that big," Sora said.

"Me either. So what do we do? Do we backtrack and leave it alone or do we fight it?" Riku asked.

"What kind of heroes would we be if we let that huge Heartless run around?" Sora returned.

"You're right, let's go," Riku said. His Keyblade, The Way to Dawn, appeared in his right hand.

"Okay," Sora agreed. His Keyblade, the Kingdom Key, appeared in his right hand.

They raced toward the Heartless holding their Keyblades over their shoulder. The Heartless, sensing them coming, began to lumber toward them. When they were within striking distance, they unleashed a flurry of attacks on the front of the Heartless. Each of the attacks bounced off the front of the Heartless.

"What do we do? We can't land a hit!" Riku asked. He dodged the swing of the Heartless' arm.

"I've got an idea, follow me," Sora said. He jumped over the Heartless and landed behind it. Riku followed suit. "Maybe hitting its back will do the trick."

"Let's give it a try," Riku said.

They began swinging the Keyblades at the back of the Heartless; the Keyblades connected and the Heartless began to weaken. It quickly turned to face them.

"Wow, for it being so big, it's fast," Sora observed. He jumped back over the Heartless and unleashed an explosion attack. The Heartless disintegrated immediately.

"Way to go!" Riku congratulated Sora.

"Same to you. Without your extra strength, it would have taken me so much more energy," Sora replied.

"We better get on going to find Cid," Riku said.

They began walking through the Third District, through the door to the Second District, and finally into the First District. They walked past the Accessory Shop and stopped to admire the keychains in the window.

"Man, I wish we could afford those," Sora said. He pressed his nose and hands up against the window.

"That's true, we have no munny. Well, I have a hundred, how about you?" Riku asked.

"Same," Sora replied.

"We better stop by the bank and withdraw some more," Riku said.

"Yeah, we can do that right after we see Cid," Sora agreed.

They continued down the stairs and past the café. Cid's shop was right next to it. They entered the shop to find Cid constructing a Gummi Ship.

"Hey, Cid, we need a favor," Sora said. Cid, who had his back to them, turned around.

"Sora, hi," Cid acknowledged.

"Hi, this is my best friend Riku," Sora said.

"Hi, now what was that about a favor?" Cid asked.

Written by Chelsea.


	36. Chapter 35 Working with Moogles

This chapter follows Chelsea as she gets a job.

Chapter 35

Working With Moogles

Chelsea pondered over what Xtmat had done and said as she walked back to the hotel. "_He said I would learn everything eventually. What does that mean?" _Chelsea wondered to herself. She began to forget where she was going. The next time she looked where she was going, she was in front of the Potion Shoppe again.

"Tomorrow, I should get a job, or at least look at the Accessory Shop," Chelsea said to herself.

She continued on to the hotel. She walked down the hall and stopped in front of the door that led to Yuffie's room. She lightly knocked on the door. It opened almost immediately.

"Thank God you are okay," Yuffie said.

"Why?" Chelsea asked moving into the room.

"We saw everything from the balcony," Aerith said. She was sitting at the table.

"Did you know that it wasn't actually Leon when he first came up?" Chelsea asked.

"No, it was a good impersonation," Yuffie replied.

"So, what do you think about this?" Chelsea asked holding out the keychain Xtmat had given her.

"I don't know. Leon has his, so something must be wrong with it," Yuffie reasoned.

"Oh! Why not take it to the Moogles at the Accessory Shop? They should tell you," Aerith suggested.

"That's a good idea," Yuffie agreed.

"I was thinking about getting a job there," Chelsea said.

"So you need munny?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah, I don't have any. You never know when you may need it," Chelsea said.

"In Traverse Town, we have munny. All the shops throughout the worlds, which are run by Moogles, use munny," Yuffie told her.

"Whatever, as long as it buys things," Chelsea said with a laugh.

"You must be tired. You had a hard day," Aerith said to Chelsea.

"A little," Chelsea answered trying to stifle a yawn.

"I will head to my room so you can get some sleep," Aerith said moving toward the door.

"See you later," Yuffie said as Aerith left.

Chelsea moved over to her bed. She climbed onto the couch and immediately fell asleep. She slept without dreams.

"Get up! Come on you lazy bum!"

"Huh?" Chelsea asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"The Accessory Shop will open soon. Aerith and I are going with you," Yuffie said.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Chelsea said. She hopped up and ran a brush through her hair. She straightened out her clothes and decided she was ready to go.

Yuffie opened the door and practically shoved Chelsea through it. As they stepped into the hall, they saw Aerith on one side and Leon on the other.

"Hi Aerith," Chelsea said. Aerith acknowledged her with a slight wave.

"Leon, are you coming too?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah, I want to see what's wrong with that keychain. I mean something must be wrong with it. Why else would that man have given it to you," Leon reasoned.

"Okay…let's go," Yuffie said.

Leon took the lead and led everyone out the door onto the crowded sidewalk. The group pushed through the throng and was finally in the clear. They were near the door to the First District. They walked through the huge wooden door and entered the First District. Here, everything was just as busy as the Second District.

"What is going on?" Aerith asked trying to see over everyone's head.

"I dunno," Leon replied.

The group pushed through the crowd until they were at the back of the Accessory Shop. Standing there was the same old wizard that worked in the Potion Shoppe. He held the tiny vial of pink liquid that was in the store window.

"Free sample?" the old wizard croaked, holding out one vial.

"No, thank you," Aerith said politely waving it away.

They continued down the steps next to the Accessory Shop. They reached the door and Leon, in the lead, opened the door. As they entered, a Moogle floated over to them.

"Can I help you, kupo?" the moogle asked.

"Yes, we have two questions," Leon stated.

"Go on," the moogle persuaded.

"First, I want to know if I could have a job here. Second, I want to know if you could analyze this," Chelsea said holding out the keychain.

"Of course, to both, kupo," the moogle answered. "Bring the keychain over here." The moogle floated over to a strange looking machine.

Chelsea went over to the moogle. She was fascinated by the machine. It had an opening near where she was standing by the counter. Above the opening was a screen.

"Place the keychain in the opening, kupo," the moogle instructed.

Chelsea carefully sat the keychain in the opening. A conveyer belt took it back into the machine. On the screen, a picture of the keychain appeared. The machine began humming and on the screen a notice saying: 'Keychain dangerous! Poisonous if used twice!'

"Oh wow! It's a good thing I didn't use it," Chelsea said relived.

"That makes me feel better," Yuffie said.

"If you don't mind, please stay to work, kupo," the moogle said to Chelsea.

"Thank you," Chelsea thanked the moogle.

Yuffie, Leon, and Aerith said their good-byes and left. Chelsea took her place behind the counter. As she was settled, the door opened and a man with short goldenrod hair walked in. He wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans with a tool belt around his waist. His blue eyes roamed the store as he chewed on a piece of straw.

"May I help you?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, I need some Gummi Blocks," the man said.

"Gummi Blocks?" Chelsea asked.

Written by Chelsea.


	37. Chapter 36 YenSid's Second Encounter

This chapter follows Matt as he has his meeting with Master YenSid.

Chapter 36

Master YenSid's Second Encounter

Matt stared at the spot where the girl had vanished. He changed his stare to the man standing across the room.

He was wearing a blue gown similar to the one that Merlin had worn. On top of his bearded face, was a hat decorated with stars sewn into it. He glared at Matt with extreme concentration.

"Welcome, Matt," he said as he took a light bow.

"Are you Master Yen Sid?" Matt asked. Matt almost slapped himself in the face.

"_Of course he's Yen Sid stupid!_" he thought to himself.

"Yes…I am him," he replied. "Step forward."

Matt took a few steps forward into the room. Slowly but steadily he made his way up to his desk. He almost puked as he blurted out, "Will you teach me magic?"

He let out a course laugh, "Of course, but first I need to tell you why I sent for you…have a seat," he said as he waved his hand.

A chair from the back of the room began to shake. Then after a few seconds it slid forward and stopped two inches behind Matt. Matt sat down yearning for what he was about to hear.

"I'll get right to the point…as you probably know you have a very special gift. In fact only one other person shares it with you. You see Matthew, you are a Lightbearer."

"A Lightbearer?" Matt questioned.

"Yes…a Lightbearer. As I said you share this quality with one other person, in fact you just missed her."

"Why couldn't I meet her?" Matt asked.

"Because neither of you are ready for the responsibility that comes with your power," he answered. "As I was saying, your gift is very powerful, but be warned…if you lose your power to darkness, they will be able to control it. Your gift is incredibly powerful, so powerful that it can be used to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, and if evil controls your power…that's what they will do."

Matt sat still in his seat, pale as a ghost.

"Why me?" he asked.

"You were born with this gift. It was by fate that you were given this power, and it is your destiny to use it," Master Yen Sid assured him.

Matt looked down at his feet and began to fiddle with his thumbs. He looked up at the old man with a depressed look upon his face.

"I don't think I can handle all this responsibility," Matt whined.

"You will…you must. It is your destiny."

"I don't think I'm ready."

"That's why you must prepare. When you are ready…you will know."

Master Yen Sid walked over to Matt and began to scan him.

"I presume you already know how to summon your Keyblade."

"You mean my Dreamscape? Yeah…I can summon it," Matt answered summoning the weapon into his hand. "Why do I need this though?"

"You need it to use magic, and I thought I was going to give you lessons."

"Oh yes…of course! Thank you, Master."

"Now…just as a safety precaution," he started. He clapped his hands and all furniture in the room vanished, even the chair Matt was sitting on. Matt fell to the ground.

"Sorry. Should have given you a warning," he said.

"Aaah…it's okay," Matt responded rubbing his backside as he stood up.

"Now, when casting spells, you must focus all energy and yell out the spell you wish to cast. They vary from easy spells like Fira and Blizzara to difficult spells like Aero and Gravira…now…raise your Keyblade and point it at me."

"Whuh?" was the sound that came from Matt's mouth.

"You need a target. Don't worry…if you actually get it to work I will block it. Now…try Fira."

Matt hesitantly raised Dreamscape towards Master Yen Sid. He started to shake as he stuttered, "F…Fira!"

An explosion came out of the other end of Dreamscape launching Matt to the opposite side of the room.

Master Yen Sid glided across the floor towards Matt.

"Cura!" he yelled.

Right away Matt's pain subsided. He stood up and looked into the stern eyes of his teacher.

"Without stuttering this time," he instructed as he walked over to his previous position. "Now…"

Matt this time raised Dreamscape with more steadiness. He closed his eyes and focused on the Fira spell. He opened his eyes, pointed the Dreamscape towards Master Yen Sid, and yelled, "Fira!"

A massive fireball erupted from the tip of the Keyblade. It approached Master Yen Sid with great speed.

"Aero!" Master Yen Sid yelled. A wall of gray shears began to form around him. They deflected Matt's fireball with ease and it was only then when Matt noticed the shards were made of air.

Matt stood still for a while. It was about five more seconds before he began to jump up and down from excitement.

"Good…now let's try Blizzara," Master Yen Sid added.

About two hours and several bruises later, Matt was able to cast, without hurting himself, Fira, Stopra, Blizzara, Thundara, Aero, and Cura, but he did have a lot of mishaps.

For example, when casting Blizzara, he managed for the room to transform into a Dairy Queen shop; when casting Stopra, he froze time on himself; when casting Thundara, he caused a power outage in the tower; when casting Aero, he caused all of his clothes to fly off; and when casting Cura he caused a permanent smile on Master Yen Sid's face (which made him look extremely creepy.)

After Matt had finally successfully cast the Cura spell (and the permanent smile had worn off) Master Yen Sid had one more spell for Matt.

"Gravira…the most powerful of the spells you need to know. With this spell you can make your enemies back off, you can summon stationary objects to launch forward, and you can crush your enemies by force."

"Oh geeze…I can just see the bloopers waiting to happen on this one," Matt said raising Dreamscape at Master Yen Sid.

"Oh no…you won't be casting on me. You'll be performing on this," he said.

With a snap of his fingers a chair appeared in the middle of the room.

"Remember…focus," he instructed.

Matt changed Dreamscape's pointing direction towards the chair. He closed his eyes and concentrated deeply.

"Gravira!" Matt yelled with his eyes still closed.

He opened his eyes and looked at the levitating chair in the middle of the room.

"Good job, Matt!" Master Yen Sid yelled in shock. "Now move it around."

Matt directed the chair across the room making it do back flips and such.

"Put it back down and try crushing it now," Master Yen Sid instructed.

Matt followed his orders. "Gravira!" Matt yelled. The chair collapsed at the exact word. Matt let out a silent yelp as splinters flew everywhere.

"Yes…very powerful," Master Yen Sid stated. He clapped his hands again and all the furniture magically reappeared filling the room. "I'm afraid to tell you that that was the last spell. My magic lesson is done."

"Thank you Master," Matt said bowing before him. He turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait!" Master Yen Sid hollered.

"I said that was our last magic lesson. I still have to teach you how to activate your power."

"What power?" Matt asked.

YenSid looked at him with a perplexed look as he answered, "Why…the gift of the Lightbearer of course."

Written by Matt.


	38. Chapter 37 The Gummi Ship Engineer

This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets a man named Cid.

Chapter 37

The Gummi Ship Engineer

"Yes Gummi Blocks. Don't tell me you have never heard of Gummi Blocks," the man said in disbelief.

"No, I haven't," Chelsea answered the man.

"Where have you been living, cold storage?" the man wanted to know.

"No, I'm new here, my name is Chelsea," she said.

"Oh well then, I guess its okay," the man said walking over to the counter.

"All right that's good. What does a Gummi Block look like?" Chelsea asked the man.

"Here, Chelsea, this is a Gummi Block," the moogle said floating over with an orange square block in its hand. "There you go Cid."

"That is so cool!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Yeah they are great. They mold together seamlessly," Cid said.

"How come you need them?" Chelsea asked.

"I'm the Gummi Ship Engineer," Cid said proudly.

"A Gummi Ship?" Chelsea asked.

"A ship you can use to fly to different worlds, made completely out of Gummi Blocks," Cid explained.

"Wow!" Chelsea shouted.

Cid took the Gummi Block from the moogle and said, "I'm gonna need about two hundred more."

"I'll get them right away," the moogle replied. He glided away to get the rest of the blocks.

Chelsea walked out from behind the counter and began admiring the keychains. They ranged in size from the size of your palm to the size of your thumbnail.

"So…where are you from?" Cid asked, leaning against the counter.

"I'm from California," Chelsea answered admiring a keychain that supposedly made you faster.

"Never heard of it," Cid said.

"Okay, here are your Gummi Blocks," the moogle said. It was carrying a basket with tons of little orange blocks in it.

"Thanks. Chelsea, here is my card, look me up if you ever want to build your own ship," Cid said to her holding out a card.

She took it and quickly read it over. According to the card, Cid's shop was located in the First District next to the café.

Cid left and Chelsea took up her place behind the counter. "So…how much do I get paid?" Chelsea asked the moogle.

"We pay very well. You get five hundred munny a day," the moogle answered.

"Wow, how long do I work, and how many days a week?" Chelsea asked.

"Three hours a day and twice a week," the moogle answered.

"Wow again. So my day is almost up," Chelsea acknowledged.

"Here is your munny for the day," the moogle said handing Chelsea a piece of yellow and blue paper.

"Thanks," Chelsea said. She wanted to head back to Yuffie's, but one keychain caught Chelsea's attention. It was blue and yellow all over the star shape. "What does this do?"

"Oh that is a keychain that turns into a Keyblade. Only one of the true Keyblade wielders can use it," the moogle explained.

"What is it called?" Chelsea wanted to know.

"It's the Promisekeeper," the moogle said.

Chelsea wanted it. The price tag read only three hundred munny. Chelsea picked it up and took it over to the moogle. She handed it back the bill to pay for the Promisekeeper. In return, she received two hundred munny bills.

Chelsea walked out the door. As soon as she was out, she concentrated on the Promisekeeper. In her left hand, a long blue Keyblade with a yellow and purple star on the top appeared. She knew that this Keyblade was all right to use. Since she bought it at the Accessory Shop, it must be okay.

"Wow!" Chelsea exclaimed.

She began walking back toward the Second District. She passed the shop where Cid worked.

"Hey, come here," he said noticing Chelsea walking by. She walked over to where Cid was standing.

"What's up? Are the Gummi Blocks not what you wanted?" Chelsea asked.

"No, no they are fine," Cid assured her.

"Then what is it?" she asked.

"Do you want to see new worlds?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied.

"Then, how would you like to build your own Gummi Ship?" he asked.

"I can't pay for it. I only have two hundred munny," she said.

"It will be free of charge," he told her.

"Thank you, I will," she told him.

"See ya tomorrow, we will begin then," he said.

Written by Chelsea.


	39. Chapter 38 Back to Twilight Town

This chapter follows Matt as he returns to Twilight Town.

Chapter 38

Back to Twilight Town

"How are you going to teach me that?" Matt asked.

Master Yen Sid took a seat comfortably at his desk. He folded his hands together as he looked at Matt.

"Do you remember how you got your power to work before? What I mean is…what specifically did you do to activate your power?"

"Usually I just wished it," Matt said thinking back to the times most recently that he had made unexplainable things happen.

"Why don't you try that then? Wish it," Master Yen Sid commanded.

"On what?"

"Anything…you can think of something I'm sure."

Matt closed his eyes and began to think. He thought of something and began to wish it. A noise came from behind him suddenly. He turned to see what had projected the sound.

"Allie!" Matt screamed. "You're here! My wish worked!" Matt yelled as he picked up his pet cat.

Master Yen Sid gave a half smile as he said, "I see that you had wished for you cat to be here. Congratulations…it worked."

"It really did work," Matt exclaimed hugging his pet tighter than before.

"Now…try it again, only this time," he droned off. He began to gaze around the room looking for something that would spark his interest.

He finally came upon a target. "Make that broom come alive," he ordered.

"What?" Matt questioned staring at Master Yen Sid making sure that he had heard him correctly. Realizing that he was far from it, Matt added, "Okay then…"

He focused on the broom in the far corner of the room.

"_I wish that broom was alive,_" Matt thought to himself. All Matt managed to do was make the broom fall over.

"Close…but try again," Master Yen Sid instructed.

"_I really wish that broom would come alive,_" Matt thought again.

At once the broom jumped forward. Its hay straws began to separate into two developed supports and began to walk on them…just like legs. In the middle of the handle two round stumps began to develop on opposite side. They began to grow and eventually formed two tiny arms. The broom creature walked over to Matt and gave a polite bow.

"You did it," Master Yen Sid stated.

"I did…didn't I?" Matt said.

"How about you get some sleep now? It's been a while hasn't it?" Master Yen Sid asked. He clapped his hands and the broom glided to the entering door. Allie jumped out of Matt's arms and followed the little creature. "Roxas will take you back to Twilight Town tomorrow," he added.

"Wait…" Matt started. "Why is Roxas here anyway?"

Master Yen Sid gave a little sigh as he answered, "I knew that you ask that question eventually." He stood from his chair and walked to the window behind his desk.

"I am a very old man as you can probably tell…my magic is no where near what it used to be when I was younger. That's why Roxas is here…to protect me."

"So Roxas is here...away from his home…to protect you?

"Yes…he was here for that. But now that I have completed my mission, he is free to go…if he chooses that option."

"What do you mean?" Matt questioned.

"Forget about it. It doesn't matter now," Master Yen Sid stated.

"But why is…"

"Away!" he yelled. He waved his hand and Matt's feet began to pull him away.

"Take them to their room," he told the broom creature.

Matt tried to fight it, but his feet kept pulling him. It wasn't until after the door started to close when Matt had yelled, "Thank you."

The doors slammed shut.

Master Yen Sid stood still as he watched Matt leave. He stood in his own silence for a while. He then walked over to the window behind his desk and began to stare out into the horizon.

"Now that I have talked to both Chelsea and Matt, I no longer am afraid to face you two. I will rid you two if it's the last thing I do."

Matt followed the broom creature down the long hallway. It came across a purple door and stopped. It opened the door and Matt walked inside with Allie nipping at his heels.

"Thank you," Matt said to the broom.

"Oh no, thank you! For giving me life!" it replied.

Matt jumped at the reply. He was completely shocked that the broom creature could even talk. His eyes grew wide as the door was closed.

Matt turned and looked at his room. It was a typical bedroom that contained a twin bed, a wooden dresser, a mirror, and a window. Matt undressed and made himself comfortable in the covers.

Allie jumped up on the bed and made herself comfortable in the space between Matt's left arm and his chest.

"Allie…do you think I can do it?"

"Prrrr…" was the only thing that Allie said (like Matt expected anything else). With that Matt fell asleep.

Matt awoke to a quiet laugh. He sat up straight, eyes squinted looking for what made the noise.

Roxas was sitting at the edge of his bed petting Allie.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to wake you," he said.

"It's okay…I can sleep on the train," Matt replied. He threw back the covers and began to dress back into his clothes.

"I love your cat, Matt," Roxas said as Allie licked his cheek.

"Well by the looks of things, she likes you too."

Matt sat down beside Roxas at the edge of the bed. Immediately Allie jumped from Roxas's lap to Matt's lap. She rubbed her head against Matt's chest purring Matt began to scratch her head behind her ears.

"So much for that," Roxas joked. He stood up straight and headed toward the door. He twisted the handle and stepped outside the room. He turned his head towards Matt and asked, "Are you coming or what? The train's waiting for us."

"I guess," Matt replied. He picked up Allie and set her on the floor. Allie gave a pathetic 'Meow!' and pranced out the door.

"Let's just go say goodbye to the others," Roxas suggested.

Master Yen Sid wasn't in his room, so they weren't able to say goodbye.

Matt and Roxas stopped to say goodbye to Princess Aurora and her fairies as well.

Aurora was playing with Allie, Roxas was sharing goodbyes with Flora and Fonda, and Merryweather was hugging Matt almost snapping his back in half.

"What if it's another twelve years until I see you again?!" she cried.

"Well I have to be alive to see you again, and if you don't let go soon, it's not gonna happen," Matt gasped.

"Merryweather! …Merryweather!" Flora yelled.

"Merryweather…we need to go," Roxas said.

"Merryweather…dear…you need to let go," Fonda added.

"Oh!" cried Merryweather.

"That's enough!" Flora yelled. With a flick of her wand Roxas, Matt, and Allie disappeared. Merryweather gave Flora and Fonda a shameful look.

Flora put her wand away as she said, "Honestly!"

Matt gasped to catch his breath. They all landed before the Ghost Train doors.

"What…just happened?" Matt asked.

"I'm guessing Flora transported us here," Roxas answered.

"Where have you been?!" yelled a man from the engineer cart. "I've been waiting for you two for an hour and a half!"

"Sorry," Roxas and Matt said simultaneously.

"Just get in here!" he yelled.

The doors opened and the two boys walked in followed by Allie at their heels.

As they sat down the train began to move, causing Matt to fall over. Roxas burst into laughter. Matt tried to hide it, but then burst into laughter as well. The two friends laughed and talked the whole entire way back to Twilight Town.

As the doors began to open Matt looked over at Roxas.

"We're back…and here to stay," he said. "You're back in Twilight Town, Roxas!"

Roxas wiped away a single tear. He let out a small chuckle and said, "I'm home."

Written by Matt.


	40. Chapter 39 Building the Ship

This chapter follows Chelsea as she starts to build her own Gummi Ship.

Chapter 39

Building the Ship

Chelsea walked back to the hotel. She walked through the partly opened door to Yuffie's room.

"So, how did it go?" Yuffie asked. She was sitting at the table with Aerith and Leon.

"My first day was great. I even bought this," Chelsea said pointing to the Promisekeeper hanging from her belt loop.

"That's good," Leon said.

"I also met Cid the Gummi Ship Engineer," Chelsea said.

"Ah…good old Cid," Aerith said.

"He offered to help me build my own Gummi Ship for free," Chelsea explained.

"That's Cid for you. He can tell that you want to see new worlds. He is always willing to help," Leon reminisced.

"I'm so excited. He said we will start tomorrow," Chelsea said. She sat down at the table too.

"I wish I could build one for myself. Then I could fly to see my boyfriend," Aerith sighed.

"Oooh," Leon said.

"Stop it, Leon. It's great she wants to see him," Yuffie said.

"Hey, I was only joking," Leon said holding up his hand to show he gave up.

"I know you were," Aerith replied.

"Aerith, do you want to help? I could take you to see him then," Chelsea offered.

"Would you? That would be great!" she exclaimed.

"I'm gonna go to bed. I had a long day," Chelsea said.

Aerith and Leon stood up and walked out the door. Yuffie followed them. Chelsea lied down on the couch and fell asleep immediately.

"Chelsea, come on!"

"Ungh,"

"Up! Get up!"

Chelsea sat up and rubbed her eyes. Aerith was standing over her telling her to hurry. Chelsea swung her legs over the edge and stood up. She brushed her hair and was ready.

"Okay, let's go," Chelsea said.

"Hurry, we don't want to keep Cid waiting," Aerith said running out the door.

"_Man, she's more excited that I am about this," _Chelsea thought to herself. She followed Aerith out the door and out into the Second District. Aerith was about five feet in front of Chelsea.

"Come on slowpoke!" Aerith called.

Chelsea ran to catch up with her. They walked side by side into the First District. They approached Cid's shop.

"Look, I think he has started already," Aerith pointed out.

"Come on, he's waving for us to come in," Chelsea pointed through the window to where Cid was standing.

The two girls entered the shop. They approached Cid. He was standing next to what looked like a huge orange and red lump. The "ship" reached from the floor to the eight foot ceiling. It was close to five feet wide too.

"I got her started for ya," Cid pointed out.

"Thanks, Aerith said she would help too," Chelsea said.

"I have always wanted to build a Gummi Ship," Aerith said.

"It's easy. Alls ya got ta do is pick a block and place it. The blocks mold together on their own. The only specially placed ones are the wings, propellers, engines, and the cockpit. Those are added last. After that, it gets painted," Cid explained.

"Wow, that's a lot of work," Chelsea acknowledged.

"Yes, but it's all worth it in the end," Cid added.

Chelsea and Aerith looked over the start of their ship. They liked the start. Cid earned the title Gummi Ship Engineer for a good reason. He worked quickly and efficiently.

"Can we keep working?" Chelsea asked. She picked up a small orange Gummi Block. She placed it in an empty hole. It molded instantly with the other blocks.

"These little blocks are fun," Aerith said as she picked up a block. She squished it in her hand. It flattened then took its original form.

"That's what is so great about these little blocks," Cid said patting the half-built ship.

"How long is it gonna take to finish?" Chelsea asked.

"Provided there are no problems, it should be finished tomorrow," Cid guessed.

"That's great!" Aerith exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Cid shouted.

Written by Chelsea.


	41. Chapter 40 Out of Cash

This chapter follows Matt and Roxas as they try to find food.

Chapter 40

Out of Cash

Matt picked up Allie, who was asleep, and cradled her in his arms.

They stepped outside the automated doors and glanced around the train station. There were a few people in the train station, and all of them were completely oblivious that Matt and Roxas were there.

Roxas glanced behind his shoulder. His mouth dropped open.

"Where…" he struggled to say.

Matt turned to see what he was staring at. He then realized what had happened. The Ghost Train had vanished.

"Where did it go?! It was just here!" Matt yelled.

"So that's what Yen Sid meant…" Roxas stated.

"What?" Matt queried.

"He said something about the Ghost Train…I can't exactly remember what he said, but he said that the Ghost Train gets its name for a reason."

"So because it disappeared, it's called the Ghost Train?" Matt questioned. He had a very puzzled look upon his face.

"The Ghost Train takes only the few it selects to ride it, and after it arrives…its complete or…something to that effect."

"Whatever…" Matt replied still confused by the conversation.

"Well what do we do now?" Roxas asked as they began walking down the stairs.

"Let's go find out gang members!" Matt suggested.

"Okay!" yelled Roxas as he ran through the door of the Train Station.

"Are you in a hurry or something?" Matt asked.

"Yeah! I want to spend time with the old gang!" Roxas replied.

"Wait up! They're my gang members too!" Matt shouted after him making sure he didn't drop Allie.

"Well then, try to catch up!"

"No fair! You had a head start!"

Roxas and Matt ran through the streets of Twilight Town making their way to the Backlot. Allie meowed delightfully as the wind rushed through her fur.

Roxas would take a quick left and Matt would soon follow.

"I'm catching you!" Matt yelled. Allie jumped out of Matt's arms and now was running along side him.

Roxas took a quick right to cut Matt off as Matt began to take the turn.

CRASH!

Roxas had stopped and caused Matt's momentum to knock them into each other. They both fell to the ground hard, but Allie just skipped over them.

"Why'd you stop?" Matt asked slowly getting up to his feet.

Roxas crawled along the ground and pressed his face against the glass window.

Matt then realized what he was staring at.

Inside the store were cakes, cookies, pies, donuts, and many other deserts. The smell of the fresh baked goods ran through each of their nostrils.

Matt pressed his face against the window alongside Roxas. Drool began to run down the side of their faces as they stared into complete oblivion.

"I'm sooo hungry!" Matt groaned as his stomach growled.

"Me too…but I'm broke," Roxas said emptying his pockets to reveal his Oathkeeper keychain, a used Kleenex, and a stamped ticket to the Ghost Train.

Matt then began to empty out his own pockets. He pulled out a lint ball and his own Ghost Train ticket.

"Me too!" Matt responded. "We need money!"

"We need food!" Roxas added.

"That too," Matt said. "How can we get the money to buy us some grub though?"

"Well…we could get a job," Roxas suggested.

"I can't wait 'til then! I need food now!" Matt yelled.

"Meow!"

"And Allie does too!"

"Well unless you're in the mood for the Backlot Gang's cheese and crackers menu, I suggest we get a job."

"Never mind…" Matt said as he looked down the vacant street.

"There's lots of things to do around Twilight Town. In fact there's a board in the Tram Common that has loads of jobs we could do!"

"Let's go then!" Matt agreed as he picked up Allie.

Matt and Roxas made their way to Tram Common. Roxas explained its surroundings to Matt as they walked.

"That's the Tram Common!" Roxas said pointing into the distance. There were many buildings. The Accessory Shop, Potion Shop, and the Gizmo shop were only a few. "The job list is on the other side of that building."

"Race you!" Matt said running off towards it.

Roxas sprinted after Matt dodging people and carts as they ran by.

"I'm gonna beat you!" Matt yelled.

"Yeah right!"

CRASH! (Again.)

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" yelled a voice.

"Yeah!" added another.

"Watch it!" added yet another.

"I'm sorry," Matt said.

"Me too," Roxas included.

"We'll forgive you if you get off!"

Roxas and Matt got to their feet and took a look at their companions.

"Huey," said the first one.

"Dewey," said the second one.

"Louie," said the third one.

They were all toddler sized ducks. They each were dressed in a shirt and ball cap of a different color being red, blue and green.

"You're…you're…ducks!" Matt stammered. He stared at them in utter shock.

"So?" all three responded.

"You're ducks! You shouldn't be talking!"

"Why not?" they all asked.

Matt opened his mouth to respond but nothing but hot air came out. Allie walked over to Dewey and jumped. Dewey caught her and began petting her.

"So…what are you guys doing over here?" Roxas asked.

"We're here to put up a help wanted flyer for our Accessory shop." Louie responded.

"We can do it!" Roxas quickly said. A noise grumbled suddenly.

"What was that?" Huey asked.

"My stomach…" Matt responded.

Huey and Louie both laughed. Dewey continued to play with Allie on the ground.

"I see…you need money for food," Huey assumed.

"Well…you're hired!" Dewey added from the side.

"If you tell us you're names…we'll even feed you," Louie said.

"Matt!"

"Roxas!"

"Okay…follow us!" Huey said.

"We live over here," Dewey pointed out leading them to a big building made of brick.

"Allie! Come on!" Matt yelled.

She jumped out of Dewey's arms and followed her owner.

"Oh!" Dewey yelled as he folded his arms in a pout. "We were having fun!"

Written by Matt.


	42. Chapter 41 Apprentice to Huey DeweyLouie

This chapter follows Matt as he gets a job.

Chapter 41

Apprentice to Huey, Dewey, and Louie

"How do they breathe when they eat?" Louie asked.

"I have no idea…they just keep going," Huey responded.

They were both looking across their dining room table. Matt and Roxas were devouring the food that Huey, Dewey, and Louie had prepared for them.

Dewey was petting Allie as she ate little nibbles of cheese and ham.

Roxas, Matt, and Allie were literally attacking their food. They ate like machines. Their arms were constantly in motion, stuffing their mouth with food after they just swallowed a bite. They took little time to taste the flavor of the food.

"The food's not going to disappear you know," Huey interjected.

Roxas and Matt choked on their food before they both mumbled, "Sorry…"

"I was just so hungry!" Matt groaned as he clutched his stomach. He began to realize that he ate past his limit and was now so full, he felt as if he was going to puke.

"It's fine, but if you're done…it's time for your shift," Louie said.

"And that was your first two hours pay!" Huey said.

"Oh man," Roxas pouted under his breath.

"I love your cat!" Dewey yelled.

Matt looked towards Dewey who was playing with Allie.

"Where can I keep Allie while I work?" he asked.

"Don't worry about that!" Dewey exclaimed. "We have a couple rats running through the store…she can help out with that."

"The rats don't talk…do they?" Matt questioned.

The ducks laughed as they walked to the opposite side of the room. Huey took a key out of his shirt pocket and unlocked the door they stood in front of.

"Follow us!" Huey instructed.

"I can't see anything!" Roxas exclaimed putting his arms out in front of him feeling for a surface in the dark room.

"Well duh! The lights aren't on!" Louie explained as he flipped the switch.

Matt gazed in amazement at the huge store. Isles of accessories, armor, potions, and gizmos lined up through the shelves.

"This place is huge!" he exclaimed as Dewey walked through the door with Allie trotting along behind him.

"Oh…it's nothing much. Just the family business," Dewey commented.

"First things first…" Huey started. He walked over the far side of the store. There was a stack of cardboard boxes labeled 'Accessories'. "Put these away and then you can go home," he added.

"Sounds easy enough," Roxas stated.

"Not really," Louie retorted. He opened of the boxes and lifted a belt the size of his arm out and handed it to Roxas.

"They're all filled with armor accessories, rings, and other things like that," Louie explained. "We need you to separate and organize them."

Dewey added, "And there are a few mice around so we'll make sure Allie's busy."

"What are you guys going to be doing while we do this?" Matt asked, partly wondering why they couldn't help them.

"I'll be running the register and taking care of customers," Huey said.

"I'll be out back taking care of our store records," Dewey said.

"And I have to meet with the Potion Shop manager today. We have to reorder," Louie explained. "Have fun while I'm gone!" he added as he walked out the entrance door. At once a wave of people came in and began to scope out the store.

"I'll see you both later to give out your pay…I have to organize our drawers," Dewey said as he began to leave the room. Roxas let out a light chuckle, but quickly placed his hand over his mouth to muffle the giggles.

"I meant our filing cabinets!" Dewey said.

"Armor accessories go in isle one, rings in two, and…you know what? Just read the signs above the isle if you need help," Huey said.

Matt and Roxas stood still for a while before Huey walked away.

"Organize their drawers…" Roxas chuckled to himself as he leaned over to open a box. He and Matt began to separate through them when Matt felt light warmth around his right ankle.He looked down to see that Allie had dropped a dead rat upon his ankle. She rubbed her scalp against Matt's ankle then looked up with a proud look.

"Thanks…Allie…" Matt said unenthusiastically.

She meowed then returned back to her search.

"Well at least she's having fun," Roxas said.

"Oh yeah…she'll be occupied for quite some time," Matt agreed. He opened one of the large cardboard boxes and looked at its contents. Roxas looked and groaned.

"By the look of it…we will to," he groaned.

Roxas and Matt began to put away the supplies. They'd reach in the box and grab a handful of rings and put them away. It was only then that they realized the rings had to be subdivided. The rings had to be organized by size, color, and price.

While they were packing away, Allie continued to drop dead mice at Matt's feet. Matt would respond with a half smile and giving her a scratch behind the ears. After two and a half hours, Matt and Roxas were down to their last box of supplies.

Huey walked over to evaluate their progress when he yelled out in disgust, "What is this!?"

"What!?" Matt asked. "Did we do something wrong?"

"I didn't ask you for a pile of dead rats!" Huey yelled. Roxas and Matt looked down at the pile of at least sixteen dead rats. "Pick them up before anyone sees!"

Roxas put the last of the supplies away as Matt carried the dead rats to the garbage. Huey called for them from across the store. He needed help with some customers. Roxas and Matt walked closer when they realized who they were. They were Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Guys!" Matt yelled running to them.

"How long have you been home?" Olette asked.

"We were just coming to see you!" Roxas answered.

"After you applied for a job and worked a shift," Hayner retorted walking out of the store with Pence and Olette running after him.

"Huey…we'll be right back. Can you watch Allie?" Matt asked.

"Sure…take your time," Huey said noticing the situation.

Matt and Roxas ran outside and followed their friends. They continued running through the streets so fast, when all of a sudden they ran into a woman. The woman was dressed in a black outfit, ranging from her vest to her long skirt to her headband.

"How dare you!" she yelled throwing a punch directly at Matt.

Written by Matt.


	43. Chapter 42 Complications

This chapter follows Chelsea as she runs into some unexpected complications.

Chapter 42

Complications

Chelsea and Aerith spun around to see what Cid was worried about. He was pointing to where the pile of Gummi Blocks used to be.

"What happened?" Chelsea asked.

"Those Heartless went and stole my Gummi Blocks," Cid said.

"Did you see them?" Aerith asked.

"Only their backs as they left," Cid told her.

"I can go after them," Chelsea decided.

"Not sure you will find them. Besides, even if you do, the Gummi Blocks will be long gone," Cid stated.

"Why will they be gone?" Aerith questioned.

"The Heartless eat them. They can't survive on hearts alone. They don't retrieve enough to live off them," Cid explained.

Chelsea wanted to get the Gummi Blocks back. That was her only way to see new sights. The Starkeeper appeared in her right hand, the Promisekeeper appeared in her left. She started for the door, a single thought in her mind. She wanted revenge on the Heartless.

"Chelsea, wait! I'm coming too," Aerith called running to catch up with her.

"Okay, let's go," Chelsea said. She pushed open the door. "Umm…Aerith, how do we know which way the Heartless went?"

"That's easy, just hold up the Keyblade and it will tell you," Aerith explained.

Chelsea held up the Keyblade like Aerith had told her. The Starkeeper seemed to shudder and pull Chelsea toward the center of the First District.

They ran farther into the First District. They stopped near the little café. The Starkeeper pulled Chelsea in the direction of a door she hadn't seen before.

"That leads to the Third District," Aerith pointed out. She ran along side Chelsea.

They walked through the door and into the familiar wide-open space. Up on a near by ledge behind the fountain, they could see the black Heartless. They hopped around looking like little bugs.

"Oh no, they are Neoshadows!" Aerith screamed pointing at the Heartless.

"Neoshadows?" Chelsea asked looking confused.

"Like the ones that attacked me. They are adult forms of the Shadows," Aerith explained.

"Don't worry, adult or not they are going to pay for stealing the Gummi Blocks," Chelsea stated.

They walked slowly toward the fountain. It majestically spit water that rained down to form pools. They approached slowly trying to muffle their footsteps. The Neoshadows remained unaware of the approaching adversaries.

Chelsea took the lead with Aerith close behind. They tip-toed up the incline behind the fountain. From where they stood, they could see the pile of Gummi Blocks becoming smaller. The Neoshadows were eating and tossing them to one another.

Chelsea raised the two Keyblades. They took a step closer and stopped again. The Neoshadows looked in their direction. Chelsea made the first move. As she moved, the Neoshadows all jumped toward them.

"Aero!" Aerith yelled. A barrier appeared around herself and Chelsea. The Neoshadows bounced off the barrier.

"Thanks," Chelsea said to Aerith.

"Stay alert, it won't last for much longer," Aerith added.

Chelsea spun around just in time to see the barrier disappear. She blocked an attack from one of the nearest Heartless. Chelsea swung the two Keyblades with amazing speed. Two complete hits and the Heartless disintegrated with a poof.

"One down…only like a hundred to go," Chelsea joked.

Aerith wasn't very good at offense; she was better at casting defensive spells. Her fire, blizzard, and thunder spells were decent though. She was a good ally to have since she was quicker at casting Cureaga than Chelsea was.

"Man, how many more are there?" Chelsea asked.

"Looks like there are only a few more," Aerith answered.

Finally, they defeated the last Heartless. Just as they relaxed, more Heartless appeared. These Heartless were Shadows, smaller versions of the Neoshadows.

"Oh, no way!" Chelsea hollered.

"These Shadows are nothing to worry about. They are really weak," Aerith explained. She cast Fira and threw a tiny fireball at one Shadow. It disintegrated when the fireball made contact.

Chelsea ran to the middle of the group of Shadows. She held both Keyblades out in front of her. The ability explosion was twice as powerful with two Keyblades. After the balls of light disappeared, the Shadows were gone.

"You did it!" Aerith called.

"Y…yeah," Chelsea stumbled. She felt faint. She gripped the wall for support.

"Chelsea, are you okay?" Aerith asked.

Chelsea slumped to the ground unconscious.

Written by Chelsea.


	44. Chapter 43 Searching for Him

This chapter follows Kairi and Namine as they search for the male Lightbearer.

Chapter 43

Searching for Him

They looked out the pink tinted windows and gazed down upon the small world. They were amazed by its features. As they approached the world, they began to see the tops of towers, buildings, and skyscrapers.

"Kairi? How do we land!?"

"I don't know!"

The ground became closer second by second.

"Just push a button!" Kairi screamed.

"That didn't work the first time! Why would it work now!?"

"Oh! Okay! Sorry! In that case I'll just sit back as we plummet into the ground!"

Naminé gasped and yelled, "Push the buttons!"

They pushed buttons, pulled levers, and flipped switches trying to find the landing gear. In their panic they set off the security alarm, managed for the ship to flip, and they made the seats partially eject from the ship.

"Oh! Please let this be it!" Kairi exclaimed as she pressed another button.

A loud, mechanical voice emitted from the speakers of the Gummi Ship.

"AUTOPILOT ENGAGED," it said.

"Why couldn't you push that button back there!?" Naminé screamed.

"ARRIVED AT DESTINATION POINT," the voice spoke.

There was another loud noise and the landing gear came from the bottom of the ship. As the ship's speed decreased the landing gear placed its wheels on the ground.

"LANDING PROGRAM COMPLETED," the voice spoke again.

"Thank God! We didn't crash!" Naminé shouted.

Kairi and Naminé both stumbled as the ship stopped completely. They glanced at each other and exchanged nods knowing what they had to do next.

Kairi took the keys out of the ignition and the large metal doors at the rear of the ship opened at once. She placed the keys in her right side pocket.

"Have his picture?" Kairi asked.

"Yep!" Naminé yelled producing the picture from her pocket.

"_I'm finally going to be able to meet you_," she thought to herself.

"Quit your daydreaming and let's get going," Kairi said as she walked out the exit.

Naminé let out a light sigh as she followed her.

She walked outside where Kairi was waiting for her. Kairi had a look of fear on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked Kairi.

Kairi motioned to the area in front of her.

Naminé looked up to see that their landing had not gone unnoticed. There were about fifty people, all with their mouths dropped wide open gazing over the ship.

"I've always wanted to do this," Kairi whispered to Naminé before yelling "People of Twilight Town…we come in peace!"

Naminé rolled her eyes as she buried her face into her hand.

"We are looking for a boy. Can any of you help us?" Kairi asked the crowd.

The crowd of people remained in their places. They still had a mixed look of fear and curiosity upon their faces. After all, a pink spaceship covered with painted flowers landing in the middle of a street was probably not a common thing to happen.

"Can somebody help us?" Naminé asked.

She walked towards the crowd and produced the picture of the young boy.

One by one, each person would shake their head in disapproval.

"Sorry, I don't know who that is," said a female by-stander.

"Kairi…I think this is hopeless," Naminé said.

"I'm starting to think the same."

"'Ey!' I know 'em!" yelled the man holding the photo.

"Really?" Kairi asked.

"You do!?" Naminé asked.

"Yeah! 'Is name's um…Roxas er Matt. I ain't sure which one it is," he replied.

"He's with Roxas?" Kairi asked Naminé.

"His name is Matt?" Naminé asked herself.

"Oh yeah! Dose guys was working for dose three ducks," he said pointing over his shoulder. "Y'know! At the Accessory Shop!"

"I think I know where that would be, but it's up here right?" she asked him pointing down the street of to her right.

"Thank you, sir!" Naminé said as she took back the photo and followed Kairi.

About after two minutes of walking, the girls found themselves standing in front of the Accesory Shop.

"He's in here," Kairi said to Naminé. "Now we just have to convince him to come with us…that sounds easy enough."

"He's in there…" Naminé said silently.

"Come on Naminé!" Kairi yelled opening up the doors.

They walked through the opening doors and were greeted by Huey.

"Hello girls. I'm Huey. Is there anything I can help out with?"

"Hi Huey…um…we were looking for your…um…we were just looking around for…um…" Kairi stumbled.

"Your assistant!" Naminé interjected.

"Yeah! Your assistant! His name is Matt. Is he around?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry girls! He just left!"

"Do you have any idea where he went?" Naminé questioned.

"Sorry…I don't."

"Well…isn't that our luck!" Kairi said.

"Now how will we find him?" Naminé queried.

"I wish I could help," Huey said.

"Maybe I could dearies!" said a voice from behind them.

Kairi and Naminé turned towards the voice.

"Allow me to introduce myself sweeties. I…am Lady Lucille."

Written by Matt.


	45. Chapter 44 The Cloaked Fighter

This chapter follows Matt as he runs into (literally) a cloaked fighter.

Chapter 44

The Cloaked Fighter

She landed a hard punch to Matt's head.

Matt shrieked out in pain.

Roxas jumped up immediately and summoned his Keyblade.

"What'd you do that for? It was an accident!" he yelled stepping in front of Matt who was supporting the fresh head wound.

"Accident? Don't make me laugh!" she yelled.

"Cura!" Matt yelled as he summoned his Keyblade. His dizziness vanished at once; he stood up next to Roxas.

"It was an accident and you know it!" Roxas yelled.

"Look, kid, don't start with me. I have a short fuse, and I really don't care if it was an accident or not…lay off is what I'm saying."

"Well hey…you started this fight!" Matt said still clutching his head.

"So why don't you finish it?" Roxas challenged.

She shrugged her shoulders then took a fighting stance.

"This ain't gonna be easy," she said. She launched herself forward.

She was extremely quick with her attacks. She threw many punches that Matt and Roxas struggled to deflect. She would land a hit occasionally to one of the two.

"_Her hand must be made of brick_!" Matt thought to himself after she landed a hard blow below his rib cage.

"Told you it wouldn't be easy," she said jumping backwards. Matt and Roxas stood their ground continuing to deflect her attacks.

"Tifa!" yelled a voice.

She halted in her tracks. She began looking around to see who called her name.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Over here," replied the voice.

Tifa, Matt, and Roxas all turned their heads down towards the end of the street.

A man dressed in black stood at the very end of the road. He wore a black vest where one arm had a long sleeve running down to his wrist while the other sleeve was cut off on his shoulder, revealing his defined muscle.

He had short blonde hair, but had a long spiked portion of his hair combed over onto his forehead. His long black cloak flowed in the wind.

He gazed over the fighters with his sky blue eyes and shook his head in disapproval saying, "Stop this nonsense."

"But Cloud…" Tifa whined to Cloud. "These kids were asking for it!"

"It doesn't matter Tifa. They're kids."

"Kids!? I'll show you kids!" Roxas yelled running after Cloud.

Tifa stuck out her arm and took out Roxas. He fell to the ground after contact.

"Don't even try kid. You lasted two minutes with me…you wouldn't last two seconds up against Cloud."

"I lasted more than two minutes! And when did I lose! As far as I noticed the fight was still on until he showed up!" Roxas shouted.

Matt stood behind Roxas and whispered, "Stop it!"

"Please kid, I could have beaten you in my sleep," Tifa said.

"Yeah! That's exactly where you could beat me…in your dreams!" Roxas insulted.

"You know what I meant kid…"

"Not really…why don't you explain it to me."

"I could beat you with my hands tied behind my back."

"That can be arranged."

Tifa bit her lip from saying something back. She tightened her knuckles and clenched her fists. She turned and walked in the direction of Cloud.

"Fine! Run away like the girl you are!" Roxas yelled.

Tifa stopped dead in her tracks.

"What…was…that?" she asked.

"You heard me!" Roxas challenged her.

"Roxas! Stop it!" Matt whispered.

This was completely opposite of Roxas' character. Usually he was the person in between the fight trying to stop it. But now, something about Tifa just made him made.

Tifa's face became instantly flushed with color.

She turned towards Roxas and charged.

"Enough Tifa!" Cloud yelled. He produced a long sword from the satchel tied around his left shoulder. He let out a battle cry as he began to glow with light.

Suddenly he leaned forward and he disappeared.

It took a couple seconds for Matt to realize that Cloud had appeared between Tifa and Roxas, who both were lying semi-consciously on the ground.

Roxas, however, noticed that Cloud hadn't disappeared. He saw that Cloud had managed to launch himself at incredible speed, so quick in fact, it was almost impossible to see him.

When Cloud had approached Tifa and Roxas, a large ray of light emitted from his weapon and stunned the two battlers.

"Enough…I said," Cloud said calmly. He reached for Tifa's hand.

Matt made his Dreamscape disappear as he reached out to take Roxas' hand.

Roxas also made his Keyblade disappear. He took a hold of Matt's hand and pulled himself up.

"Sorry I got so hot-headed," Roxas stammered.

"It's okay…just try to cool your temper next time," Matt said.

Cloud placed his sword back into its satchel and looked towards Tifa.

"Let's go," he said in his calm tone.

He wiped a hand through his hair then turned and walked back down the road.

Tifa flipped her hair and followed as well.

Cloud and Tifa disappeared into the crowd.

"Who was that?" Roxas asked.

"Cloud…"

Matt gazed on in a fascinated way.

"He must be some fighter."

Written by Matt.


	46. Chapter 45 Cid's Help

This chapter follows Sora and Riku as they get Cid's help to repair their ship.

Chapter 45

Cid's Help

"Well…we…uh…" Sora began.

"We crashed our ship," Riku blurted out.

"Ya bunch of pinheads! How'd ya do that?" Cid asked.

"We got into an argument and the steering wheel kinda came off in my hands," Riku said. He kept his gaze on his feet as he talked.

"And how did that work out for you?" Cid asked.

"Not well, the ship began to smoke," Sora said.

"That's really bad," Cid said.

"Can you fix it?" Sora asked.

"I will tell you once I see the damage," Cid replied.

"Okay, do you want us to take you to see it?" Riku asked.

"I have to run to get some more Gummi Blocks, but if you tell me where it is I will meet you there," Cid replied.

"In the residential section of the Third District," Sora said.

"All right, I will meet you there in about a half hour," Cid acknowledged.

Sora and Riku nodded in agreement. They left the shop and walked over to the café. They sat down at one of the tables.

"So, do we go and wait by the ship now or do we wait and go in a little while?" Riku asked.

"Why don't we go to the bank and withdraw some munny and then go and wait by the ship," Sora suggested.

"Deal. Where is the bank anyway?" Riku asked.

"In the Second District," Sora answered vaguely.

"Are you even listening?" Riku asked.

"Hmm?" Sora said. He was thinking about Kairi. He hoped that she was okay. He knew that neither Kairi or Namine had any experience flying a Gummi Ship. He wondered whether or not they crashed.

"Oh, I know who you are thinking about," Riku teased.

"I was just thinking, neither of them have had any experience at flying a Gummi Ship. I was hoping that they hadn't crashed," Sora said.

"I'm sure they are going to be fine," Riku assured Sora.

"How can you be so sure?" Sora asked.

"I can't be. You just have to believe they are okay," Riku said.

"I believe," Sora said. He stood up and pushed in the chair he had occupied. "Let's go to the bank so then we can meet up with Cid."

Riku stood up and pushed in his chair. He began to retrace the path that he and Sora had taken earlier. Sora caught up with Riku. They walked back past the Accessory Shop and through the door that led to the Second District.

"Where is the bank?" Riku asked.

"Straight ahead," Sora said. He pointed straight ahead to a huge marble building.

"Wow, that's one of the biggest banks I have ever seen," Riku said amazed.

Sora began walking toward the building while Riku marveled at it. Riku realized that Sora was no longer next to him. He sprinted to catch up with Sora. They continued past the hotel and up a set of stairs to the doors of the bank.

They entered the bank and were momentarily blinded by the sparkling white parquet floors. Ahead of them were six tellers ready for customers. They walked to the first teller.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"We would like to make a withdrawal," Sora answered.

"Your bank code please," the woman said.

"9826," Riku recited.

"One moment," the woman said. She walked through a beige door.

"How much do you think we need?" Sora asked.

"How much do we have?" Riku asked.

"About ten thousand," Sora replied.

"How about it all? We can't be sure what we will need or when we will be back at a bank," Riku answered.

"Okay," Sora agreed.

The woman came back through the door carrying a small metal box with a brass lock on the front. On the woman's hip hung a key ring that jangled as she walked.

"Here you are sirs," the woman said. She gently sat the box on the counter.

"Thank you, we would like to withdraw it all," Riku told her. She nodded as she unlocked the box.

"Can I take the munny?" Sora asked the woman. She nodded again and turned the box to face Sora. Sora reached into the box and pulled out ten blue and yellow bills. "Thank you."

Sora handed Riku five of the bills and kept five for him. They left the bank in a happier mood. They continued through the Second District and into the Third District.

They were now standing next to a small building with a for sale sign in the window. From their vantage point, they could see their crashed ship off to the left.

"Let's go, Cid could be waiting for us," Riku said. He started off to the right and down the stairs. At the bottom, he turned left. Sora jumped down the stairs and caught up with Riku.

In a short while, they reached their ship. "Hmm…no Cid yet," Sora observed.

"I'm comin'," Cid said. He approached from behind them.

"Good, how much is it damaged?" Riku asked.

Cid walked once around the ship muttering under his breath. He stopped next to Riku and answered, "It can be fixed, but we need to take it to my shop."

"Easy," Sora said. He snapped his fingers and the remains of their ship began to float.

The three of them led the ship into the First District and into Cid's shop. Sora motioned for it to sit down behind the already began ship.

"It'll take about two weeks for me to finish. Why don't ya find a place to stay," Cid suggested.

"Okay, thanks Cid," Sora said.

They left Cid alone to work on their ship. They entered the Second District and slowly walked past a few shops. They were near a hat shop when a teenage girl ran into Riku.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" the girl apologized.

Riku turned to look at the girl. As he did he began to say, "It's quite all…" He recognized the girl.

Sora turned to see what had distracted him. He saw the girl and elbowed Riku. He said, "Hey, it's her."

Written by Chelsea.


	47. Chapter 46 Another Flashback

This chapter follows chelsea as she "dreams" about her past.

Chapter 46

Another Flashback?

"Chelsea, can you hear me?" Aerith called.

"Chelsea, honey, please don't do that," Chelsea's mom said.

A four year old Chelsea was using her power to lift up the vacuum cleaner. She was very good with her power.

"But why, mommy?" she asked innocently.

"You will hurt yourself," her mom answered.

"Chelsea, you can't keep using your power like that," a new voice reprimanded her.

"Fairy godmother, you never let me have any fun," Chelsea whined.

"I'm here to help you. I want to train you to use your power correctly," the Fairy godmother explained.

Chelsea walked over to the godmother's side. She trusted the Fairy godmother almost as much as her own mother.

"Really? How?" Chelsea asked. Like most little kids, Chelsea was very curious.

Chelsea sat down by the godmother's feet. She was very antsy and couldn't stand still.

"Before that, I want to tell you something. When you turn five, I will come to take you to Earth. You will lose all memory of this city and your parents. Your power will be sealed away until you turn sixteen," the godmother explained.

"Then why are you teaching me to use my power?" Chelsea asked.

"That way when you turn sixteen, you will have complete control over it," the godmother answered.

"Go with her, honey. You will only be gone for a day or two," her mother said.

Chelsea flicked her gaze from her mother back to the Fairy godmother. She wanted to learn to control her power. At the moment, she could only use it when she was mad or lonely. She just had to look at something and it would lift off the ground or break.

She had lifted up the vacuum cleaner because she had been lonely. Her mother had been busy and the Fairy godmother wouldn't answer her. To call on the Fairy godmother, all she had to do was think about her and she would appear.

"Okay, let's go," Chelsea said. She looked up at the godmother.

"Come along then," the godmother said holding out her hand.

Chelsea stood up and took the Fairy godmother's hand. They walked into a hole of light. They emerged in an empty room.

"What are we doing here?" Chelsea asked. She was very bright for her age.

"I am going to conjure up some furniture for you to practice on. After that, you just need to close your eyes and think, very clearly, what you want to happen to it," the godmother explained.

Chelsea nodded timidly. Furniture appeared in the room. It hovered about three inches off the ground. Chelsea closed her eyes and began to concentrate on the furniture. "_I want the furniture to fall to the ground,"_ she thought. The furniture fell to the ground with a crash.

"That was good. Now, lift it back up," the godmother instructed.

Chelsea closed her eyes and concentrated on the furniture once again. "_I want the furniture to float," _she thought. The furniture lifted off the ground and began floating again.

"That's great! You don't need any training any more; I think you have the hang of it. Just in case, though, I want to make you mad to see if anything happens," the godmother said.

"How?" Chelsea asked.

"By yelling at you. Just remember I'm really not angry with you," the godmother explained.

"Uh-huh," Chelsea answered.

"How could you do that! You never listen to anything anyone tells you!" the godmother yelled.

Chelsea stood there. She was becoming angry even though she knew the godmother was not serious. Chelsea looked over at the floating furniture. Usually when she was mad, it would come crashing down. Today, it stayed floating. No matter how hard she looked at it, it wouldn't fall.

"It won't fall," Chelsea pointed out.

"That's good. It means you have complete control over your power," the Fairy godmother praised.

"Chelsea, Chelsea! Can you hear me?" Aerith yelled.

Chelsea's eyes fluttered open. "Huh?" she asked.

"Good you're awake. You slumped against the wall after you defeated the Heartless. You were unconscious," Aerith explained.

"I…I did?" Chelsea asked. Aerith nodded. "I remember defeating the Heartless, then everything is a blank.

Aerith held out her hand to help Chelsea up. She pulled herself to her feet. She was a little dizzy. Aerith led the way back to the hotel. They entered the Second District, chatting about nothing in particular. Chelsea bumped into a boy on the sidewalk.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" she apologized. Her eyes became wide at the sight of the boy.

"It's quite all…" the boy began.

"Hey, it's her," the boy's companion said.

Written by Chelsea.


	48. Chapter 47 Cloud's Lessons

This chapter follows Matt as he meets a fighter named Cloud.

Chapter 47

Cloud's Lessons

"Sorry about that…" Roxas said to Matt.

"Like I said…it's okay."

"_How did he do that? That move was incredible!_" Matt thought to himself.

Matt had the reoccurring image of Cloud's move playing through his mind. The way that he had managed to simply move so fast had mystified Matt beyond words.

"You know what I mean?" Roxas asked.

"What?" Matt asked. He was paying no attention to Roxas whatsoever while he talked to him. "Yeah…yeah, Rox. Of course," he added making up an answer.

"You think they'll be mad at us?"

"Who?"

"Olette, Pence, and Hayner!" Roxas answered loudly. "Were you even listening to me?"

Matt didn't answer. He continued staring off into space.

"Matt!"

Matt looked at him with a dazed look upon his face.

"You weren't listening to me!" accused Roxas. "Were you?"

Matt placed his hands on Roxas' shoulders. He took a deep breath and put a sad look upon his face. He looked up and said, "Nope."

Matt took off running in the opposite direction.

"Get back here!" Roxas yelled before racing off after him.

"Gotta catch me first!" yelled Matt.

"I swear Matt! If we run into somebody again I'm gonna be angry!"

Matt led Roxas through many streets. Matt looked over his shoulder to see where Roxas was. Matt had managed to put about ten feet of distance between them.

Matt changed his view to the path in front of him, but quickly changed his view toward the ground. Matt had accidentally tripped over his feet, and fell face first into the ground knocking over a food cart on the way down.

"Matt!" Roxas yelled quickening his pace. He reached Matt and asked, "Are you okay Matt? That was a pretty hard fall."

Matt gently got up to his feet supporting a light bloody nose. He looked down and looked at the spilled groceries. It was only then he realized who they belonged to.

"Hey baby!" Lady Lucille cried. "How was your visit?"

"Lady Lucille!" Matt yelled giving her a big hug. "How are you?"

"Well child, I was good until somebody knocked my cart over," she said jokingly.

"Sorry about that," Matt said as he began to help Roxas pick up the groceries.

"Oh, I forgot! Lady Lucille, meet Roxas, Roxas…you get the deal."

"Nice to meet you," Roxas said extending his hand towards her.

She pulled his hand forward to her and hugged him tightly.

"Nice to meet you sweetie!"

Matt placed the last of the groceries in her cart as he asked, "Where do you live?"

"I live by the Sandlot, sweetie! But if you're thinking of helping me, cutie, don't waste your time…that Cloud character is battling down there with that Tifa girl."

"You can let me go now!" Roxas gasped.

"Oh!" Lady Lucille cried letting go of Roxas.

"Why are they battling?" Matt asked intrigued.

"I don't know baby! But whatever the reason is, they sure are attracting a crowd! There's so many people down there I can't even get to my house!" she yelled throwing her arms in the air.

"Come on Roxas!" Matt yelled running down the path that led them to the Sandlot.

Roxas ran after him yelling back to Lady Lucille, "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, sweet cheeks!" she yelled back waving madly at him.

She waved until they were completely out of sight. As she slowly brought her hand down she developed a cackling laugh.

She stared down the path which they had run off to. She snapped her fingers as she stopped laughing.

A crowd of about fifty Heartless surrounded herself without attacking her.

She pointed off in the direction of the Sandlot.

"Go!" At once they all turned and crawled down the street, attacking each other to be the first to get there.

"Perfect…" she stated. She heard a faint rumble noise coming from the sky.

She looked up into the faded blue sky.

"Even more perfect…a little early, but absolutely perfect," Lady Lucille mumbled under her breath as she stared at the huge pink Gummi Ship flying down from the sky at increasing speed.

"Excuse me…pardon me…ouch! That was my foot!" Matt yelled trying to make his way through the crowd.

Matt and Roxas eventually made their way through the crowd. They watched in amazement as Tifa and Cloud battled amongst them.

Tifa amazed her viewers by her incredible speed and skill. She managed to dodge most of Cloud's attacks and rebutted with her own attacks.

Cloud would swing his sword and Tifa would do a back-flip to avoid his attack and then quickly counter with an attack of her own.

She seemed to enjoy the 'ooh's' and 'ah's' the crowd would emit as she gracefully avoided getting hit.

Although she was both cunning and swift with her attacks, she was no match for Cloud.

Most of the time, Cloud would just stand there and wait for her attack. He would use incredible moves that amazed his viewers.

He used the move that he had used to break up the fight of Roxas and Tifa.

"That's his Sonicblade attack," Matt overheard somebody say.

"Ooh! And that's his Razorwind attack!" he heard somebody else say. This attack was also dazzling to the eye. Cloud swung his sword and at once a large gust of wind would erupt from the end of his sword and launch towards his opponent.

"Amazing," Matt said.

Just at that moment Cloud pulled off another spectacular move.

He screamed as he jumped into the air. Before he hit the ground he swung his sword around in a circle before slamming it into the ground. At impact a circle of light emerged from the ground and expanded at great speed. It hit Tifa with great force and sent her flying into the crowd.

Cloud stood still as the crowd marveled at his attack.

"Wow! Roxas!? Did you see that!? Did you _see_ that!?" Matt yelled as Roxas clapped his hands wildly.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" he replied loudly trying to carry his voice over the noise of the bystanders.

"Run! Run away!" somebody yelled from behind them.

Roxas and Matt turned to see what had started the commotion. Their view was blocked by the people running towards them.

"Move out of the way kid!" yelled somebody rushing away from them.

"What are they running from?" Matt yelled to Roxas.

"I don't know! I can't see!"

As the last of the people rushed away, the view was cleared.

"Matt! Look!" Roxas yelled pointing across the Sandlot.

At the back of the crowd was a swarm of Heartless. A few of the crowd were being attacked by them. Matt could see about two or three hearts rising above some of the victims and suddenly, they transformed into a Heartless.

They crawled their way after the fleeing Twilight Town townsfolk.

Matt and Roxas summoned their Keyblades. They raced towards them and began to attack them.

It took a while for either of them to notice that Cloud and Tifa had stayed behind to fight as well.

Roxas would attack Heartless with great accuracy one after another with great strength. He had great speed with his swing and also had great accuracy rarely missing a hit.

Tifa and Cloud worked together to vanquish the Heartless. Tifa would kick or throw the Heartless towards Cloud and he would diminish them with one swift attack.

Matt awkwardly defended himself using his Dreamscape. Still getting used to the feel of it, he had developed into a great fighter.

More and more Heartless began to swarm the four fighters.

Cloud yelled out as he jumped high in the air. He landed on the ground, smashing the tip of his sword into the ground.

The circle of light emerged around him and knocked the twenty nearest Heartless sailing into the air. He returned to battling the nearest creature.

Matt stared at him thinking he could do that. He jumped up and tried to copy the move. He slammed his Dreamscape into the ground but only managed to produce a light spark that only made the nearest Heartless flinch.

"Focus your energy, kid," he said running by. "Tifa! Hold on!" he yelled as he ran to a wounded Tifa.

"_I wish I could do this_," Matt thought.

At once his Dreamscape flew from his hand. He jumped to catch it, but it quickly dragged him down to the ground. As Dreamscape hit the ground, a huge ray of light emerged around him twice as big as the one Cloud had produced.

It was also far more powerful than Cloud's. It hit most of the Heartless that were attacking the fighters. It vaporized the Heartless on contact.

"Wow…" Matt said noticing the effect.

He looked over the remaining thirty creatures and noticed Roxas lying unconscious among them.

"Roxas!" Matt yelled running to him.

Matt began defending a now unconscious Roxas. He managed to defend Roxas for another two minutes before he called out for help from Cloud.

"Busy at the moment, kid!" he replied striking the nearest Heartless.

A Heartless made an attack on Matt's chest causing him to fly backwards taking out Cloud as he fell.

"There's too many!" he yelled as he dropped his sword.

"Too many…" Matt agreed.

They gazed at the swarm of Heartless in complete fear as they neared.

"Gravira!" yelled two voices from behind him.

He turned and looked but was attacked by a nearing Heartless.

He fell to the ground as he watched two young girls approach him before he passed out.

Written by Matt.


	49. Chapter 48 An Early Arrival

This chapter follows Chelesax (Lady Lucille) as she tricks Kairi and Namine.

Chapter 48

An Early Arrival

"Kairi and Naminé…" Lady Lucille commented to herself. She transformed herself back into her original form of Chelesax. "A little early…Xtmat won't be happy. I'll make it work though," she said coming up with an idea.

She transformed herself into a middle aged biker kid as she walked to what she thought the landing site would be.

She walked her way through the streets of Twilight Town making her way to the landing site.

When she finally arrived she pushed her way through the crowd and took the picture that was being passed around.

"Let's see if this will work," she said. She coughed and changed the tone of her voice.

She yelled to Kairi and Naminé who were standing a few feet away from her, "'Ey!' I know 'em!"

"Really?" Kairi asked approaching her.

"You do!?" Naminé asked.

"Yeah! 'Is name's um…Roxas er Matt. I ain't sure which one it is," she replied.

"He's with Roxas?" Kairi asked Naminé.

"His name is Matt?" Naminé asked herself.

"Oh yeah! Dose guys was working for dose three ducks," he said pointing over his shoulder. "Y'know! At the Accessory Shop!"

"I think I know where that would be, but it's up here right?" she asked him pointing down the street of to her right.

"Thank you, sir!" Naminé said as she took back the photo and followed Kairi.

Chelesax stayed a safe distance behind them as she followed Kairi and Naminé.

She waited until Kairi and Naminé had walked into the Accessory shop before she walked into the alleyway behind the store.

"Got to keep those Heartless coming for Matt and Roxas," she said snapping her fingers two more times. "Time to put my plan into action."

She transformed herself back into her Lady Lucille form and made her way back to the entrance of the Accessory Shop.

She overheard the dialogue spoken between the owner and the girls.

She thought it best that now was the time to reveal herself to the girls.

"Hi Huey…um…we were looking for your…um…we were just looking around for…um…" Kairi stumbled.

"Your assistant!" Naminé interjected.

"Yeah! Your assistant! His name is Matt. Is he around?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry girls! He just left!"

"Do you have any idea where he went?" Naminé questioned.

"Sorry…I don't."

"Well…isn't that our luck!" Kairi said.

"Now how will we find him?" Naminé queried.

"I wish I could help," Huey said.

"Maybe I could dearies!" said a voice from behind them.

Kairi and Naminé turned towards the voice.

"Allow me to introduce myself sweeties. I…am Lady Lucille."

Written by Matt.


	50. Chapter 49 Destiny Island Kids

This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets up with Sora and Riku.

Chapter 49

Destiny Island Kids

"Are you talking to me?" Chelsea asked.

"Uhh…y…yeah," the first boy stuttered.

"What do you mean 'it's her?'" Chelsea asked.

"We…never mind. It will be explained later," the second boy answered.

"Who are you? I've never seen you around here before," Aerith asked.

"We just arrived in town. My name is Sora and that's Riku," the second boy explained.

"It's very nice to meet you," Chelsea said politely.

Riku stood in the same spot staring at Chelsea. "It's an honor to meet you," he managed to say.

"Thank you, my name's Chelsea by the way. That's Aerith, a friend of mine," Chelsea said.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah," Sora nodded.

"Come with us, we can get you a room in the hotel we are staying at," Chelsea said. She silently wished that they would say yes. She thought Riku was hot, but didn't want to blurt it out.

"Thank you," Sora said.

Aerith began walking back to the hotel. She was in the lead. Chelsea fell into step next to Riku who seemed to keep glancing at her. She liked it; she never got this kind of attention from boys.

"So…what brings you guys to Traverse Town?" Chelsea asked.

"We umm…have business to do here," Sora answered mysteriously.

"Oh…that's interesting," Aerith said. Though, you could tell she wasn't really listening.

They continued toward the hotel. As they approached it, they saw Yuffie and Leon outside. It seemed they had been waiting for them. When Yuffie saw them, she began waving frantically.

"Yuffie, what is it?" Chelsea asked as she approached.

"I think we have a problem," Yuffie answered.

"What?" Aerith asked concern creeping into her voice.

"The Heartless trashed Yuffie's room," Leon explained.

"Heartless?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, you do know what they are, right?" Chelsea asked Sora and Riku nodded in response.

"Come on," Yuffie said motioning for them to follow her.

Aerith was right behind her, followed by Leon, Chelsea, Sora, and Riku in the rear. They walked down the hall and into Yuffie's room. The room was in utter chaos. The bed was torn apart and the curtains were half falling off the rods.

"Why did this happen?" Chelsea asked as she picked her way through the room.

"It seems the Heartless were searching for something, or someone," Riku stated as he surveyed the damage.

"It will take hours to clean this mess up," Yuffie complained.

"Not necessarily," Chelsea said. She closed her eyes and thought, "_I want the room to be clean." _

The room began to clean itself up. The bed flew back together and the curtains leapt back up to cover the window. The entire room was clean in less than two minutes.

"Wow, thanks," Yuffie said.

"So it wasn't a fallacy," Riku mumbled to himself. "She is so perfect."

"What was that, Riku?" Chelsea asked.

"Oh…um…nothing," Riku answered.

"Come on, I will get you a room," Chelsea said.

She led them out of Yuffie's room and down the hall. They stopped in front of the desk. The manager handed Chelsea a room key. She took Sora and Riku back down the hall to their room. It was right across the hall from Yuffie's. Chelsea handed Sora the room key.

"Thank you," he said taking the key.

"Would you come in?" Riku asked politely.

"I would love to," Chelsea replied.

Sora slid the card key into the door. He turned the handle and the door clicked open. The room was very basic. There were two twin sized beds that were covered in blue sheets. There was a set of wooden drawers next to the beds. Connecting to the room was a bathroom.

"It's funny, I feel at home here," Sora said. He flopped down on one of the beds.

"You know me too," Riku agreed. He sat down on the other bed.

"I know what you mean. Where I was from, I never fit in. Here I really feel at home," Chelsea agreed.

"So, Chelsea, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" Sora asked.

"Nothing, why?" she replied.

"Would you want to show us around town?" Sora asked.

"Sure, I'll be back first thing in the morning," she said. She left the room with a wave.

Written by Chelsea.


	51. Chapter 50 Lady Lucille Helps Out

This chapter follows Kairi and Namine as they recieve help from Lady Lucille.

Chapter 50

Lady Lucille Helps Out

"Where is he?" Kairi asked.

"He's down in the Sandlot, honey," Lady Lucille responded in a light laugh.

"Where's that?" Naminé asked.

"I'll show you where he is, but first you cuties have to tell me what you want with my Matty."

Kairi and Naminé turned from Lady Lucille and began to whisper in arguments.

"Can I help you Miss?" Huey asked.

"Oh…no thank you honey. Just passing through."

Kairi and Naminé continued to whisper to each other occasionally looking back at Lady Lucille. Lady Lucille let another quiet laugh.

"_Kairi and Naminé have arrived a lot earlier than we have planned,_" she thought. "_This may interfere with Xtmat's plans…but it doesn't necessarily mess mine up. And Matt still doesn't who I am!_"

"Meow!"

Lady Lucille looked down at Allie who sat comfortably on the rug before her. She tilted her head lightly and gazed up at Lady Lucille. Allie continued to meow quietly at her feet while her tail swayed back and forth behind her.

"Be quiet!" she whispered to the cat.

Allie's eyes grew wide, but continued to meow at her.

Lady Lucille knelt before the cat and glared into Allie's eyes. Her eyes momentarily changed back into her original slit, bright yellow eyes.

Allie hissed at once and lashed her claw out at her. After landing a quick slash against her right cheek she retreated to the back of the store.

Lady Lucille let out a scary noise. It was mixed between a loud cheetah cry and a woman's high pitched scream.

Kairi turned and approached her with worried looks upon their faces.

She supported the fresh wound as a light blood stream ran down her cheek. She let out small hissing noises as she rubbed it.

"Oh Mylanta!" Huey yelled. "I'll be right back!" he added running to the back of the store.

Naminé walked forward to Lady Lucille. She grabbed a Kleenex from the box on the welcome desk and began blotting the wound.

"Are you okay?" Naminé asked.

"I'm fine baby…just a little shocked," Lady Lucille responded.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Allie sitting on one shelf. Kairi looked over Lady Lucille. Something about her deameanor reminded her of someone else. At that moment, Huey reentered from the back of the store with a first aid kit.

"Bad Allie! Bad cat!" Huey yelled. Allie jumped from the shelf and retreated to the other side of the store.

"Here we go," Huey said wiping an alcohol swab against her cheek.

Lady Lucille bit her lip to refrain from yelling.

Naminé covered the wound with a bandage that she had retrieved from the kit.

"There!" Naminé yelled. "All better!"

"Where is that cat?" Huey asked himself.

"Oh! Don't bother, honey! I'm fine!" Lady Lucille said. "I'll just show you two cuties where Matt is now, that is…if you tell me what you want with him."

"He's an old friend of ours and we just wanted to say hi," Kairi answered making something up off of the top of her of her head.

"Really?" Lady Lucille questioned.

"Yep! Isn't that right Naminé?" she said hugging Naminé.

Naminé looked at Kairi with a baffled look upon her face.

"Isn't that right Naminé?" she repeated squeezing Naminé tighter with each word.

"Yeah!" Naminé gasped.

Lady Lucille knew the reason why they were there, but she didn't want to reveal that just yet. This is why Xtmat and she sent them in the first place. The teenagers would help the Lightbearers tap into their true power. Xtmat and she were at the worlds with them just to keep a steady watch among them.

"Okay! Follow me ladies!" Lady Lucille cried snapping her fingers as she thought, "_Hmm…little more Heartless for Matt and Roxas."_

"Thank you!" Naminé yelled to Huey running out the door closely followed by Kairi.

"No problem! Come again!" Huey yelled.

"How do you know Matt?" Kairi asked Lady Lucille.

"Matt's a good friend of mine, dearie. We have a strange relationship, but we have one," Lady Lucille said snapping her fingers.

"What's Matt like?" Naminé asked twiddling her thumbs as she walked.

"Matt is a character!" Lady Lucille exclaimed grasping Naminé's shoulder, making her jump from surprise.

"He's funny…polite…charming…handsome," Lady Lucille described.

Naminé blushed with color as thoughts of her meeting with Matt raced through her mind. Lady Lucille laughed to herself.

"_My assumption was correct! The female Keyblade holder has feelings for the male Lightbearer! This is marvelous! Now, even though the male Lightbearer could reach his full potential, he will be distracted by this little girl! Xtmat will be so pleased about this!_"

As Kairi walked with her companions, she began to think about Sora. Thoughts of him raced through her mind. Things that made him seem so silly were the only things she could think of. The way his bushy hair bounced as he walked…the way he laughed at the stupidest of things…the way he…

"Kairi!" yelled Naminé interrupting her thoughts. "Look!"

Down in the Sandlot, Kairi could make out four limp figures lying down in a mess of Heartless. Kairi was able to identify one of the members; it was Roxas.

All three females gasped as they looked upon the scene.

"Oh my! My Matt's down there!" Lady Lucille said.

Naminé looked as Matt fell to his knees from exhaustion. She raced forward summoning her Keyblade. Kairi was close behind her.

"Wait for me dearies!" Lady Lucille cried running after them.

The three females fought off the remaining Heartless after about two minutes of battling.

"Now what?" Naminé said. "Where can we take them?"

"I know where we can take them," Lady Lucille said.

Written by Matt.


	52. Chapter 51 Fast Friends

This chapter follows Chelsea as she gets to know Sora and Riku better.

Chapter 51

Fast Friends

Chelsea walked across the hall and through the open door into Yuffie's room. Yuffie was sitting at the table with Leon.

"Hey you guys!" Chelsea called as she approached them.

"Hi Chelsea. So, what's up with you and the two guys?" Yuffie asked.

"They seem to know me and I feel like I've met them before," Chelsea explained.

"Who are they?" Leon asked.

"Sora is the boy with brown hair and Riku has the silver hair," Chelsea explained.

"You are one lucky girl. You have two hot guys that want to spend time with you," Yuffie said. This earned her a look from Leon.

"Well…yeah. Anyway, I'm showing them around town tomorrow," Chelsea said her face slightly flushed.

"Here, you may need this," Leon said. He held out five of the blue and yellow bills.

"Thanks," Chelsea said. She reached out and took the munny.

"Man, I wish you would give me munny," Yuffie joked. She gave Leon a playful shove.

"Hahaha…no," Leon laughed.

"Hey…um Yuffie, can I talk to you alone?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah," she replied. She elbowed Leon saying he should leave. Leon stood up to leave. He nodded at Chelsea as he walked past her.

After Chelsea heard the door click shut she said, "Yuffie, help me, I don't know what to do!"

"About what?" Yuffie asked.

"It's Riku. He's so cute. I want to tell him how I feel, but am afraid he won't feel the same way," Chelsea blurted out.

"Ohh...why don't you wait. I mean you only just met him, wait and see how things go," Yuffie said.

"Okay…that's a good idea," Chelsea agreed.

"I also believe that the guy should make the first move," Yuffie added.

"I will give it some time before I decide anything," Chelsea decided.

"Good idea," Yuffie agreed.

"I think I'm going to bed. I need to be well rested," Chelsea said. "Do you have a shower?"

"Yeah, over there," Yuffie answered. She was pointing to a green door next to the bed.

"Thanks," Chelsea said. She went over to the door, opened it, and closed the door behind her.

She undressed and slipped into the warm shower. The hot water soothed her aching muscles. She thoroughly washed the dirt from her face and washed her hair. She turned the water off and stepped out onto the cold tiled floor. She dried off, twisted a towel around her wet hair, and slipped back into her clothes (she hadn't gotten around to buying pajamas yet.) She dried her hair which, after dry, was shiny and perfect.

Chelsea walked out of the bathroom and tip-toed over to the couch because Yuffie had gone to sleep. She fell asleep immediately.

"Hey, Chelsea, get up! You have a date today, remember?" Yuffie called as she stood over Chelsea gently shaking her shoulder.

"Oh! What time is it?" Chelsea asked. She sat up quickly.

"Eight o'clock," Yuffie responded.

"I'm not too late at least," Chelsea said. She took her brush out of her backpack and ran it through her hair. She grabbed her backpack and with a wave to Yuffie bolted out the door.

She crossed the hall and knocked on the door. It clicked open and Riku stood there. It was apparent that they had been waiting.

"Sora, come on, she's here!" Riku called.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Chelsea apologized.

"It's no problem," Riku answered.

Sora came rushing to the door. He stopped next to Riku and said, "Let's go."

Chelsea led them down the hall and out into the Second District. She stopped and asked, "What would you like to see first?"

"How about we skip the tour and just head over to the café to talk?" Riku suggested. Sora nodded his approval and the grumbling noise his stomach made backed up this idea.

"Okay," Chelsea agreed. She led them through the Second District and into the First District.

They were passing Cid's shop when Sora stopped and asked, "Can we stop in here for a second?"

They entered the shop to find Cid working on a ship. Sensing he had customers, he turned around. "How can I help ya…oh it's just you," he said.

"Hey Cid, how's our ship doin'?" Sora asked.

"Should be finished soon," he replied.

"Good and thanks again," Sora added.

"No problem. Hey Chelsea, thanks for defeating those Heartless," Cid said.

"It was nothing, but how did you know I defeated them?" she asked.

"Aerith came and told me," he replied.

"Oh, anyway, it was no problem," Chelsea said.

"We've got to be going, see you later Cid," Sora said. He turned to leave with a wave.

They left the shop and continued on to the café. They found a table and sat down. The waitress took their orders – spaghetti for everyone.

"Now, how do you guys know Cid?" Chelsea asked.

"We sort of crashed our Gummi Ship and needed his help," Sora explained.

"Wow, so, this is a little personal, but do either of you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

"Sora does, but I don't," Riku answered.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Kairi," Sora said.

"I like that name. Is she here with you?" Chelsea asked.

"No, she had to be someplace else," Sora said. He sounded a little depressed as he told Chelsea this.

"What about you, do you have a boyfriend?" Riku asked Chelsea.

"No, where I come from I didn't have many friends," Chelsea replied.

"Why? You are beautiful," Riku said. After the words were out of his mouth, he realized that he had said that out loud and began to blush.

"Thanks, you're sweet," Chelsea replied. At this point, their spaghetti had arrived.

"So, where are you from?" Sora asked. He began to shovel food into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days.

"California," Chelsea replied. She was daintily twisting the spaghetti around her fork.

"Where?" Sora asked.

"U.S.A., California, any ring a bell?" she asked.

"No," Sora replied.

"Hey, I just had a brilliant idea!" Riku burst out. He sat his fork down on his plate as he said this.

"What?" Chelsea and Sora asked in unison.

"Sora, remember that little house in the Third District? We should rent it and 'live' there for a while, with Chelsea of course," Riku said.

"That's a great idea!" Sora exclaimed.

"My own bed? Yes, I would love it," Chelsea agreed.

"Let's go!" Riku hollered. He abandoned his half-eaten spaghetti as he stood up. He began to walk toward the door between the First and Third Districts.

Chelsea and Sora ran to catch up. They had left a hundred munny on their table. They made their way to the house Riku had mentioned. In a few minutes they stood in front of their new place to stay. The house was small, only about three rooms. The outside was tan in color and a little dilapidated.

"Let's call it our secret base. That way we can talk there and not worry about being over heard," Sora suggested.

Written by Chelsea


	53. Chapter 52 Kairi and Namine

This chapter follows Matt as he meets Kairi and Namine.

Chapter 52

Kairi and Namine

"Where?" Kairi asked.

"I don't need to be taken anywhere," Cloud said startling them all.

"Aaah!" Kairi yelled out. "You're awake!"

"You little…" Lady Lucille started. "You scared the twilight out of me!"

"Yeah…" Cloud responded not caring. "Help," he added stretching out a hand to Kairi.

She took it and pulled him to his feet.

"Cura!" Lady Lucille cried.

Cloud's face automatically regained its full color.

"Naminé…and that's Kairi," Naminé said introducing themselves.

"Thanks," he responded. He picked up the limp body of Tifa and began to walk away.

"Wait! What's your name?" Kairi yelled after him.

"Does it matter?" Cloud responded walking away.

"It was nice meeting you 'does it matter'!" Naminé yelled after him.

Kairi and Lady Lucille gave Naminé a very worried look.

"What? I knew he wasn't being serious."

Roxas let out a groan.

"Curaga!" Lady Lucille yelled.

Roxas sat up straight and gasped for breath.

"Hey Roxas! Get up you lazy bum!" Kairi yelled.

"Kairi!" he yelled embracing her tightly.

"Lay off! I'm not your girlfriend!" Kairi yelled.

Roxas let go of Kairi and turned to Naminé.

"Curaga!" Lady Lucille yelled.

Roxas ran to Naminé and kissed her as Matt sat up.

"Roxas stop!" Naminé said strongly as she pushed him away.

Matt rubbed his head before he opened his eyes. He looked up at the figure before him.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello," Naminé responded as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"You must be Matt! It's me Kairi!" Kairi said breaking the silence. She stretched out a hand.

"How did you know my name?" Matt asked as he took her hand and stood up.

"What are you talking about Matt? We've known each other since we were kids!" she said winking at Matt.

"Oh…" Matt said catching on. "Kairi! How are you?"

"Hi," Naminé repeated.

"Wh…what's your name?" Matt asked Naminé.

Naminé's voice trembled as she answered, "Name my Naminé is."

"What?" Kairi, Lady Lucille, and Roxas all said.

"What was that?" Matt asked. "I…didn't catch that."

Naminé let out a high-pitched nervous laugh.

She caught a breath of air after each laugh making an extremely awkward moment. She took a deep breath and responded, "Is my name Naminé!"

"Her name's Naminé," Kairi said.

"Ok…hi Naminé," Matt said.

"Hi Matt," Naminé responded with another high pitched laugh.

"Um… Naminé…what's going on?" Roxas asked. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of course!" Naminé said strongly.

"Then why did you push me away? We haven't seen each other in four months!"

"I know and I did miss you…but I didn't miss you as much as I though I would."

Roxas stumbled on his feet. His throat got dry as he listened.

"I'm guessing they're a couple," Matt said to Kairi.

"Were a couple," Kairi said.

"I'm sorry Roxas…it was great at first, but then one of us would always be gone. I was lonely."

"We couldn't help that! You know that!"

"So I guess I got used to being lonely, because this time…I didn't feel lonely even when you weren't there."

"Does this mean we're breaking up?" Roxas asked.

Matt, Lady Lucille, and Kairi looked at Naminé waiting for her answer.

"Technically Roxas…we were never together."

Roxas let out a sigh and wiped a tear away from his face.

"Still friends?" Naminé asked.

"Yeah…" Roxas said.

They made a motion to hug each other but stopped before contact. Instead they both outstretched a hand and shook them respectively.

Kairi began to think to herself, "_What if Sora and I end up this way? Our situation is almost identical to theirs! We hardly see each other at all! What would happen if Sora didn't miss me? I hope we don't end up like that!_"

After a long and awkward silence, Lady Lucille turned to Matt and asked, "Are you all right baby?"

"I'm okay…thanks to you," Mat responded.

"Oh honey! I didn't do a thing! Kairi and Naminé did everything!"

"You?" Roxas asked.

"You got a problem with that?" Kairi sassed.

"No!…But when did you learn how to fight?" Roxas said to Naminé.

"When I got this!" she yelled summoning Heartreliever.

"When did you get a Keyblade?" Roxas asked.

"When Queen Minnie…" Naminé started. She noticed Kairi standing behind Roxas mouthing the word 'Don't' to her.

"Um…just a little while ago," she said.

"Where were you guys heading anyway?" Kairi asked changing the subject.

"We were just heading back to the Accessory Shop," Roxas said.

"Yeah…we have to pick up our pay at some point," Matt agreed.

"Mind if we join you?" Kairi asked.

"Sure!" Matt said. "But first…how do you guys know each other?"

"This will take a while to explain…" Naminé started.

Written by Matt.


	54. Chapter 53 The Secret Base

This chapter follows Chelsea as she and Sora and Riku find a small house that they will share.

Chapter 53

The Secret Base

"This is amazing!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Our own base," Riku said. He glanced over at Chelsea wondering what she was thinking.

"Before we move in, we need to check out of the hotel," Sora said.

"Yeah and I need to tell Yuffie that I found a place to stay," Chelsea added.

"Let's go in and see what the inside looks like," Riku suggested.

The three of them entered the small house. Through the door was a small living room. It was sparsely furnished with a gray couch in the center of the room. In the corner were a pile of boxes and the entire place was covered in dust. They walked into the next room and found that it was the bedroom. There was a queen sized bed in the cramped room. It was covered in gray sheets that had a few holes in them. The connecting room was the bathroom. There was a small sink that had a thick layer of dust on it, a porcelain toilet, and a small shower that desperately needed to be cleaned.

"It needs some major work, but other than that it is perfect," Sora said.

"Sure, but we need to decide one thing," Riku added.

"What's that, Riku?" Chelsea asked.

"Who shares a bed and who gets the couch," he stated.

"Oh, I never thought of that," Sora said. He elbowed Riku who stood next to him. Riku nodded in return to show that he understood.

"After I ask her," he whispered back to Sora.

"We can figure that out later," Chelsea decided. She made her way back through the bedroom and into the living room.

"We are going to need to spend a few days cleaning," Sora observed.

"Yeah, I hate seeing this place a mess," Chelsea agreed.

"Oh boy, cleaning," Riku said sarcastically.

"Hey, I like to clean. Especially when I am with friends," Chelsea defended.

"I suddenly love to clean," Riku joked. "Anyway, do you really consider us your friends? You only just met us."

"I really do. I know I only just met you, but I feel like I've known you for years," she replied.

"Man all this talk is making me miss Kairi," Sora said a little dejectedly.

"I'm really sorry," Chelsea apologized.

"Hey, I just had an idea!" Riku burst out.

"What?" Sora asked. He jumped slightly when Riku said this.

"Your hearts are connected, right?" Riku began.

"Yeah, so?" Sora asked.

"Shouldn't you be able to talk to her by concentrating on her?" Riku asked.

"It's not that easy. You see, she has to be concentrating on talking to me at the same time," Sora explained.

"Oh, sorry. I thought it may work," Riku apologized.

"It's okay," Sora replied.

"Hey, shouldn't we be heading back to the hotel?" Chelsea asked. Sora and Riku nodded in agreement.

They left their secret base and turned to the right. They walked through the door back into the Second District. They walked through the crowded streets and back to the stairs. They ascended the steps to be met with a huge throng of people.

"What is going on?" Riku asked.

"I have no clue," Sora replied. He tapped the person in front of him on the shoulder and asked, "What's going on?"

The man turned and replied, "Some guy was attacked by Heartless and apparently lost his heart."

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea pushed their way through the crowd. Lying on the ground was a man. Chelsea recognized him as the old wizard from the Potion Shoppe. He lay perfectly still. His eyes were frozen with fear.

"So that's what happens when you lose your heart," Chelsea observed.

"Yeah, if you are a strong hearted person and lose your heart, you turn into a Heartless. At the same time a Nobody is created. They are beings with no heart, but can still live like ordinary people," Sora explained.

"How do you know so much about it?" Chelsea asked.

"I once lost my heart. I gave my heart up to free Kairi's," he explained.

"So does that mean you have a Nobody?" Chelsea asked in disbelief. They were still standing next to the lifeless man.

"Yes, his name is Roxas. Kairi's Nobody is Namine. You will eventually meet them," Sora said.

"It isn't polite to call them Nobodies though. We call them others," Riku interjected.

"Wow that's really interesting," Chelsea said. She sounded very sincere about the whole topic.

"Come on, let's keep going," Sora said.

He pushed his way through the crowd. Chelsea and Riku were close behind. They made it into the clear.

"Wow, that much interest in a guy who lost his heart?" Riku asked.

"I guess most people here have never seen someone lose their heart before," Sora said.

"I don't think it's that great. I find it really terrible," Chelsea said.

"They probably do to. It's kinda like a car crash, you just can't look away no matter how much you want to," Riku stated.

They turned away at that and continued the short walk to the hotel. They entered the familiar hallway. Sora and Riku walked down the hall followed closely by Chelsea. They stopped in front of the door to Yuffie's room.

"Meet back here in ten minutes?" Riku suggested.

"Yeah, that will give me enough time to tell Yuffie," Chelsea agreed.

They each opened their respective doors. Chelsea entered Yuffie's room to find her sitting at the table with Aerith and Leon.

"Hi Chelsea," Aerith said. "What's new?"

"Not much," she answered.

"What do you mean 'not much!' You are hanging out with two hot guys!" Yuffie burst out and then added, "No offense," to Leon.

"Yeah, that's actually why I came to talk to you," Chelsea began.

"What so you mean?" Yuffie asked.

"Sora and Riku asked me to stay with them in a small house we found," Chelsea said hurriedly.

"That's great!" Aerith exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm happy for you and a little jealous. I haven't been asked to move in yet," Yuffie said. She gave Leon a little nudge.

"You know that you can't. There isn't enough room," he replied.

"I was only joking," she defended.

"So you are all right with it?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes I am. You deserve an actual bed," Yuffie answered.

"There is one more thing…" Chelsea began.

"What?" Yuffie asked.

"I may have to share a bed with Riku," Chelsea said. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Written by Chelsea.


	55. Chapter 54 Making Up

This chapter follows Matt as Roxas and himself make up with the members of the backlot gang.

Chapter 54

Making Up

As they walked towards the Accessory Shop, Kairi and Naminé finished talking about how they met, leaving out some of the details.

"Wow! That is so cool!" yelled Matt.

"Not that cool, it's just…"Roxas began.

"Yeah right! It's awesome!" Matt interrupted. "You guys make a living out of kicking butt!"

Roxas shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Ok…when you put it that way…it is awesome!"

"Boys…" Kairi said. "All they care about is fighting and eating."

"Trust me child…you will never find one that isn't," Lady Lucille said as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not just the fighting I like!" Roxas yelled to defend himself.

"But you make it seem it's the only thing that matters! We have a destiny and the huge responsibility that comes with it!" Naminé explained.

"Is that where these come in?" Matt asked summoning Dreamscape.

Kairi and Naminé gasped.

"You have one?" Kairi asked.

"A Keyblade? Yeah! Why?" Matt asked.

Naminé leaned over to Kairi and whispered, "I told you! He does have a destiny as ours!"

"It means you have a destiny similar to ours. Being a Keyblade welder means you share the responsibility of ridding all worlds of darkness."

"That means I get to come with you guys?" Matt asked.

Kairi and Naminé nodded.

"Yes!" Matt cheered.

"What's the real reason you guys came here?" Roxas asked Kairi.

"I'll tell you later," she said as she pushed him aside.

"That's so cool!" Matt yelled as he pulled Kairi and Naminé into a tight hug.

Kairi struggled to writhe out of Matt's hug as he continued to squeeze tighter.

Naminé did nothing to force herself out of Matt's grip. She fell limply into his arms.

"Well…I'm glad you found _new_ friends," said a familiar voice.

Matt loosened his hold and turned.

Behind them Hayner, Pence, and Olette all stood with their arms folded across their chests. Hayner had a look of distaste, Pence was in a stare of disbelief, and Olette was on the verge of tears.

"Hayner! Pence! Olette! I've been looking for you guys!" Matt said.

"Sure looks that way," Hayner retorted.

"Looks to me that you've replaced us," Pence said.

"With girls," Hayner added.

"Hey!" Olette interjected.

"What do you mean 'replace'? I could never replace you guys!" Roxas said.

"It just looks as if you have new friends, just as you ditched us," Olette explained.

"We never ditched you!" Matt argued.

"Well, it just _seems _that way," Olette pointed out. "If you didn't…why didn't you come see us first when you came back? You were gone for a month!"

"Let us explain," Matt said.

"Why should we?" queried Hayner.

"Because you're getting the wrong idea!" Roxas shouted.

The three exchanged glances between each other before they gave nods to Roxas to continue.

"Ok," Roxas started. "Matt and I came back and we _were _going to see you guys."

"But we got hungry! And we weren't exactly in the mood for cheese and crackers," Matt added.

The other three Backlot members looked taken aback, but put it aside.

"And we didn't have any money…so we got a job," Matt continued.

"We were going to get paid, go eat, and then visit you guys," Roxas said.

"We weren't ditching you guys," Matt said. "Honestly."

"You still could have come to see us though before you saw _them_," Hayner said.

"Excuse me?" Lady Lucille asked.

"Sorry…we didn't think of that," Matt said.

"We could have helped you done the job faster," Hayner started, "but instead you blew us off."

"What can we do to prove we're sorry?" Matt asked.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette continued to glare at them.

"_I wish there was something I could do to make up,"_ Matt thought.

"Um…hello. I'm Kairi," she said loud enough to attract attention.

"That's Hayner, Pence, and Olette," Roxas said pointing them out one by one.

"Again…I'm Kairi and this is Naminé."

"Nice to meet you!" Olette greeted, but immediately after she said this Hayner gave her an ice cold glance. "Sorry…" she added.

"I know you don't know us very well, but I think I know a way that might help."

"What…is that?" Pence asked.

"It's our ship!" Naminé said proudly.

"Don't you love it?!" Kairi asked.

"It's pink…" Matt and Pence said.

"With flowers…" Hayner and Roxas added.

"I like it," Lady Lucille said.

"Well good…because we're taking you for a ride," Kairi said.

"Oh my!" Lady Lucille shrieked. "I…can't! I'm afraid of heights!"

"Are you sure?" Naminé said.

"Oh yes darling!" she yelled as she walked away.

"Are you coming?" Naminé asked as she opened the ship's door.

Everybody ran in after her. They entered to find Kairi and Naminé sitting in their pilot chairs starting to lift off.

"Buckle up guys!" Kairi yelled.

Everybody stood very still as Naminé and Kairi finished the liftoff process.

"Liftoff in three…two…" Naminé said.

At this point everybody rushed to the nearest seats and buckled themselves in.

"One! Liftoff initiated!" Naminé yelled.

The liftoff was much easier than the first time. Kairi and Naminé sat back relaxed in their seats after pressing the autopilot.

Kairi and Naminé unbuckled their seat belts and walked over to the pink tinted windows.

Soon after they were joined, one by one, by the rest of the crew.

"You wouldn't think that Twilight Town could be this big," Pence said in awe gazing over the town's landscape.

"It's beautiful," Olette said as she placed her hand upon the window.

"Yeah…" Hayner added as he shuffled his hands into his pockets. "It is."

Kairi gave Roxas a nudge into his side.

"Ow! What was that…"

Kairi gave him a quick nod to Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Roxas caught on and asked his gang members, "You forgive us yet?"

"Please…" Matt added as he placed his arm on Roxas's shoulder.

"Yeah," Hayner said.

"Yes," Pence added.

"Of course!" Olette exclaimed.

They all embraced in a forgiving hug.

Written by Matt.


	56. Chapter 55 An Explanation

This chapter follows Chelsea as Sora and Riku explain everything about their mission.

Chapter 55

An Explanation

"Don't you have any other options?" Leon asked.

"What do you mean?" Chelsea asked.

"Like one of them sleep on the couch," he explained.

"Yeah, there is a couch, but no one will be sleeping on it for a while. It is completely covered in dust and could use a good slip cover," Chelsea said.

"You do whatever you want," Aerith chimed in.

"Thanks everyone, I'll see you later," Chelsea said as she began to walk out the door.

She entered the hallway with her backpack slung over her shoulder. Riku and Sora were waiting for her with their own backpacks. They smiled when they saw Chelsea enter the hall. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

"I think so. We have everything we need," Sora answered.

"So do I," Riku chimed in.

"Okay, let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can start to clean," Chelsea teased.

Riku and Sora exchanged looks. Sora nodded at Riku and said, "Umm…Chelsea, we have some stuff that we need to tell you."

"Okay…tell me when we get to our base," she replied. By the sound of her voice, you could tell she was worried.

"Don't worry, it will be painless," Riku added after he saw the look on Chelsea's face.

She nodded in response. She wondered if it had anything to do with them leaving her. She put her worries aside and said, "Okay…let's head out."

Sora took the lead with Chelsea and Riku close behind. They stopped at the front desk. Sora handed the man their room key. The man nodded his thanks. They continued out the door and into the Second District.

"So…do we need to pick up some cleaning supplies?" Chelsea asked.

"No, Cid's delivering some for us," Sora replied. He continued to walk forward.

"Cid delivers cleaning supplies now?" Riku asked. His gaze was flicking over at Chelsea.

"Yeah, I asked him to," Sora replied.

Chelsea had continued to stare straight ahead of her. They were heading down the steps by the Potion Shoppe. Chelsea noticed a mass of black creatures inching their way toward the group.

"Guys, look!" she shouted pointing ahead.

"Wha…" Riku began. He broke off when he saw what she was pointing at.

"I guess we have to fight," Sora said. A Keyblade that was white with a blue and yellow star at the top appeared.

"When did you get that?" Riku asked in amazement.

"It's my Oathkeeper. I use it when I miss Kairi. It reminds me of the promise we made," Sora explained.

They had stopped at the top of the staircase. Riku's Keyblade appeared in his hand. He looked over at Chelsea. This sent a shiver down her spine.

"_Please let me fight okay," _she thought to herself. She summoned her Starkeeper. Her Promisekeeper keychain still hung from her belt loop, just in case.

"Wow, so you learned how to summon your Keyblade already?" Sora asked her.

"Yeah, I have another one too," she answered. She summoned her Promisekeeper into her left hand.

"Wow, you must be a true Keyblade bearer, otherwise you couldn't wield two," Riku said.

"Let's go fight these Heartless so we can get to our base," Sora said. He ran toward the black mass.

Chelsea and Riku ran after Sora. They approached the black mass of Heartless with their Keyblades poised to fight. The group stopped about a foot from the Heartless.

Sora ran to the right, while Riku ran to the left. Chelsea stood her ground in the middle. "_Please don't let me screw up in front of them,"_ Chelsea thought to herself.

They noticed the black mass was a bunch of Shadows. Sora began to swing at the nearest Heartless. Chelsea deftly swung her Starkeeper and Promisekeeper defeating any Heartless it came in contact with. She noticed that Riku was defeating the Shadows with and odd attack. He placed both hands on his Keyblade and a small blue fire ball would erupt from the end.

"How are you doing, Chelsea?" Riku asked while he defeated a few more Heartless.

"Great! How about you?" she responded. She stole a glance in his direction. She couldn't help but notice his sharply defined arm muscles.

"Just fine," he replied.

"I've got the last one," Sora said. He ran at the last Shadow and destroyed the small Heartless in one hard swing.

"Well, that's that," Riku observed. His Keyblade had disappeared from his hand.

"You know, Chelsea, you fight really well," Sora complimented. His Keyblade had also disappeared.

"Thanks," she replied. Her two keychains were back on her belt loop.

The three friends stood in the wide open area of the Second District. They did a quick check to make sure there were no more Heartless.

"Let's get a move on," Riku said. He started to walk away from the other two.

Chelsea and Sora ran to catch up with Riku. They continued to the Third District in silence. They stood in front of their new base. They gazed at it in pride. They entered the base and moved a few boxes out for them to sit on.

"So, what did you guys need to tell me?" Chelsea asked timidly.

"We wanted to explain why we are here looking for you," Sora began.

"Yeah, we feel that we owe you an explanation," Riku agreed.

"Okay," Chelsea said with a nod.

"It all started when our good friend King Mickey was kidnapped. The Queen sent us to find him," Sora began.

"When we reached the place where the King was being held, the people that had kidnapped him were waiting for us," Riku picked up.

"They gave us, meaning myself, Riku, Kairi, and Namine, two pictures; one of you and one of another boy. They told us to go find you," Sora said.

"They said that we had to bring you to them, otherwise the King would die," Riku added.

Chelsea sat in silence for a while. She had so many questions running through her head. She didn't know which one to ask first. She took a deep breath and asked, "Who are the people?"

"Xtmat and Chelesax," Sora answered.

"So…they want me, why?" she asked. She was pretty sure that she knew the answer.

"Because you are one of the chosen two Lightbearers," Riku answered.

"Yeah, I know that. So…why did you tell me all this?" she asked. Her gaze was on her feet.

"We decided that we couldn't take you back to them. Riku and I had a long discussion while we were packing," Sora answered.

"That's nice of you, but what about the King?" she asked.

"We haven't gotten that far in planning yet," Riku answered.

"Thank you so much!" Chelsea cried.

"Hey, it's nothing, you are a great girl. We couldn't hand you over to them," Sora said.

"Hey ya guys in there, open up," came a voice from outside the house.

Written by Chelsea


	57. Chapter 56 Turbulence

This chapter follows Matt as he gets some flying experience from Kairi and Namine.

Chapter 56

Turbulence

"I mean…I can understand the pink ship…but why do the windows have to be tinted?" Matt asked.

"Get over it. It's pink and it's staying that way," Naminé said as she slapped him lightly across the shoulder.

For a moment their eyes met. They smiled at each other before looking away.

Roxas looked at them as Matt and Naminé stared blankly into each others eyes. A sense of jealously ran through him. He reached out to get Naminé's attention.

"Buckle up guys! We're going to land!

Before he could get her attention, she rushed to the nearest seat towards Matt, leaving Roxas standing unnoticed.

"Roxas! Sit down!" Olette yelled from her seat.

"And we're down!" Kairi yelled pushing the steering wheel forward sending the Gummi Ship downward.

Roxas lost his balance running to his chair. He stumbled and fell to the ground. The downward momentum of the ship caused him to roll towards the rear exit emergency doors.

"Roxas!" Hayner yelled.

Roxas hit the doors hard causing them to fly open. Roxas flew out of the ship.

"Roxas!" Olette screamed.

Matt unbuckled his seat belt and slowly made his way towards the edge.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest.

Roxas had somehow managed to find a grip on the swinging door. As the door flapped wildly in the wind, Roxas struggled to keep his grip.

"He's holding onto the door!" Matt yelled back.

Hayner and Pence immediately unbuckled themselves to join Matt.

"Kairi! Slow down!" Olette shrieked as she dug her fingernails into the cushioned seat.

"I'm trying!" Kairi said as she struggled to maintain balance with the ship.

Roxas grunted in a quick panic struggling to maintain his hold on the flailing door. His legs kicked wildly as he pushed himself higher up on the door.

"Roxas! Hold on!" Pence yelled.

"Give me your hand," Hayner yelled reaching out a hand.

Olette placed her head back farther into the cushioned head rest as she listened.

"Do something!" Naminé yelled.

"What?" Kairi yelled back turning her head.

Turning her head caused the wheel to turn slightly, sending the ship to turn a quick right.

Roxas lost grip of one door but luckily managed to grab a hold of the other.

"Kairi! Keep the ship straight!" Pence yelled.

"Sorry!" Kairi yelled quickly turning the wheel back to the left. The turn was too much though. Hayner flew out of the ship as well.

Matt reached quickly for Hayner's foot before he could fall away.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!" Naminé asked herself in a panic.

"Get me back in there!" Hayner yelled.

Pence reached out and took a hold of Hayner's other foot.

"I don't want to die!" Hayner cried.

Matt and Pence slowly began to pull Hayner in, trying not to lose their own balance.

Then it happened suddenly. Roxas's weight overtook the door and caused the top hinge to break.

"Roxas!" Pence yelled.

"Grab Hayner's hand!" Matt yelled.

"Are you crazy?!" Roxas replied. "You can't hold us both!"

"Grab his hand, Roxas!" Matt repeated.

Roxas jumped as the door broke off. He barely caught a hold of Hayner's hands.

Pence struggled to maintain a grip. His palms became so sweaty, Hayner's foot flew out of his hand.

Matt's face grew red in color as he held on tighter to Hayner.

"Matt! Please don't let go!" Hayner yelled.

Matt let out a yell as he pulled Hayner back into the ship with all of his strength.

Pence immediately grabbed Roxas's free hand and helped pull him in with Hayner.

They all crawled their way back to their seats and buckled themselves in.

"Are you ok, guys?" Naminé questioned.

"I wouldn't say 'good'," Hayner replied.

"Me either," Roxas agreed. His face was flushed of all color and had perspiration dripping down his cheeks.

"My wrists," Matt groaned. His hands were laid down upon his thighs. They were both purple and swollen. His right wrist was awkwardly out of place and his left was twitching.

"Can we land now?" Naminé asked.

Without an answer, Kairi guided the Gummi ship quickly back down to Twilight Town. They landed safely and comfortably in the place from which they left minutes before.

Naminé unbuckled herself and ran to the rear of the ship yelling, "Are you ok?"

Roxas gave a sympathetic look and began, "I'm fine…"

But she ran past him to Matt.

"Does it hurt?" Naminé asked.

"Not much," Matt responded trying to act tough.

Naminé took his right hand and began to rub it.

"OUCH!" Matt yelled.

"'Not much' huh?" Naminé poked at him.

"Ok…they hurt a lot."

Roxas looked over them in a jealous way as Kairi placed her hand upon his shoulder.

"Cura."

His nerves eased at once but there still remained the upset feeling in his stomach.

"Can't you do that for me?" Matt asked.

"I can try…" Naminé responded as she folded her hands and whispered.

A feeling overcame Matt.

His muscles relaxed and his nerves eased, but the pain remained.

Matt opened his eyes to see his two swelled up wrists still upon his lap.

"I'm sorry…" Naminé said

"It's ok…I kind of expected it not to happen that easy," Matt responded.

"I guess I can't heal that type of injury," Naminé added. She turned to look back at Hayner, Pence, and Olette as they walked out of the ship.

"I wish you could," Matt said.

Naminé turned back to him at once and placed her hands on top of Matt's. a light emerged through the gaps between her fingers that was so bright, everyone shielded their eyes.

When the light faded away, Naminé was kneeling on the ground, her hands still rested upon Matt's and her head laid limply between her arms.

"Naminé!" Matt gasped as he reached his hands out to keep her supported. He paused though.

His hands were completely healed.

Written by Matt.


	58. Chapter 57 First Kiss

No explanation on this chapter. Read on to see what happens.

Chapter 57

First Kiss

"Who's there?" Sora asked.

"It's me, Cid," the voice answered. Sora moved over to open the door for Cid.

When the door was opened, Cid stood there with his arms loaded with cleaning supplies. Riku let out a groan when he saw all the supplies that Cid held.

"Thanks Cid," Sora said taking the pile of cleaning supplies.

"No problem. Oh, your ship should be done within the week," Cid said.

"That's great!" Riku yelled.

"I'll see ya later," Cid said as he walked away.

Sora carried the cleaning supplies over to the small, dusty table. He spread out the many supplies and looked over at Chelsea.

"Why are you looking at me?" she asked.

"You are the one who loves to clean so much," Sora answered.

"Okay…let's start in here. Sora, you take the rag and dust everything off. Riku, you can help me clean up these boxes," she instructed.

Sora and Riku nodded their agreement. Sora grabbed a dust rag and a spray bottle of cleaner and began to wipe off the walls. Chelsea and Riku moved over to the pile of boxes in the corner. Chelsea pulled one off the top and tossed it to Riku.

"Are they all empty?" he asked.

"Looks that way," she responded.

"What do I do with them?" he questioned.

"Hmm…throw them outside for now," she said.

Riku opened the big bay window and began tossing the boxes out the window. Sora was making good progress; he had three walls done and the small table.

Soon, the room was spotless. Chelsea even had Sora and Riku help her remove the slip cover from the couch.

"Wow, it doesn't even look like the same room," Sora said admiring the newly cleaned room.

"Let's do the bathroom next," Chelsea said.

"Okay, let's go," Sora agreed.

The friends made their way into the bathroom. They just fit with enough room to move around. They sat the cleaning supplies in the bedroom.

"Sora, you clean the sink. Riku, you clean the toilet. I will clean the shower," Chelsea instructed. She handed Sora a clean rag and some bathroom cleaner. Riku took the scrub brush and poured some cleaner in the toilet.

Chelsea took a rag for herself and some cleaner. She began scrubbing away the dust. Riku looked over at Chelsea.

"Chelsea, why do I have to clean what you tell me to?" he asked.

Chelsea stopped cleaning and looked over at Riku. He had a look of pure hatred on his face. "You could have said you didn't want to clean something and I would have said okay," she replied.

"Fine, I don't want to clean the toilet," he said dropping the scrub brush.

"You did a nice job cleaning it," she complimented. The toilet was no longer gray, it was white again.

"Thanks, no, no, no I am mad at you," he said correcting himself.

"Cool it you two," Sora interjected.

"Fine. How is the sink looking?" Chelsea asked.

"It's done," Sora answered. The sink sparkled in the light. Chelsea nodded her approval.

"Now we have to scrub the floor," she said.

Riku groaned and said, "Why do we have to do everything you say?"

"You don't have to," Chelsea responded slightly sheepishly.

"Then I'm not cleaning the floor," he said. Riku tried to make a dramatic exit from the room, but failed because of the room's small size.

"Come on Sora," Chelsea said getting down on her hands and knees.

"Okay…and don't worry about Riku, he tends to overreact at a lot of things. He will be over it and helping in the bedroom," Sora said.

"If you say so. I just feel bad about it, "Chelsea replied. She began to scrub the floor. Sora followed suit.

After what seemed like hours, the bathroom floor was shiny clean. Chelsea and Sora stood up and admired their hard work.

"It looks great!" Sora exclaimed.

"Let's take a break and then tackle the bedroom," Chelsea suggested.

"You won't hear me complaining," Sora agreed.

The two walked back into the living room. They found Riku lying on the couch taking a nap. Sora tip-toed over to his side and gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder. Riku jumped and sat up.

"Woah, done already?" he asked. His voice still sounded slightly drowsy.

"Yeah, we are going to take a break then work on the bedroom," Sora said.

"Oh, okay. I guess I could help," Riku mumbled.

"Thank you!" Chelsea cried. She flung her arms around Riku's neck, giving him a hug.

"Anytime," Riku choked out.

"You know, I am really glad that we decided not to hand you over to Xtmat and Chelesax," Sora said to Chelsea.

"Hehehe…so am I," Chelsea giggled. "You guys are great friends and I would have hated for you to stab me in the back."

"See, Sora, I knew you didn't have the heart to turn her over," Riku teased.

Sora stuck his tongue out in response. "I just wonder how we are going to save King Mickey now, though," he added.

"That's easy, we fight," Riku answered.

"Oh…yeah that could work," Sora agreed.

"Wait! Are you two serious! I am not that good of a fighter!" Chelsea cried.

"You don't have to be. Remember, you are a Lightbearer," Riku said.

"Oh, yeah," Chelsea said with a small laugh.

"Shouldn't we get to work on the bedroom?" Sora asked.

Chelsea nodded and stood up from her seat on the edge of the couch. Riku stood up too. They walked into the dust-covered bedroom. Chelsea went over to the bathroom to collect the needed cleaning supplies.

"Okay…now what?" Riku asked.

Chelsea gave him a look of pure disbelief. She then added, "Now do you see why I was telling you what to clean?"

"Not really," he replied.

"Because you just asked what to do!" she hollered.

Chelsea stood by the bathroom door, while Riku was by the bed on the opposite side of the room. Sora stood in the middle as he watched his friends argue. He wondered what would happen next.

"Forgive me for asking a question!" Riku threw back. He took a few steps closer to Chelsea.

"Well you wouldn't have to ask if you would just listen to me!" Chelsea shot back. She, too, took a few steps closer.

"Maybe I don't want to listen to you," Riku said. He took a few more steps closer.

"It would make things so much easier," Chelsea said. She also took a few more steps closer. The two were now face to face.

"How?" Riku asked.

"Beca…" she began. Riku put his hands on her face and kissed her. She kissed back. They were kissing like they had never known love. Sora stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed.

Riku looked away then added, "You know we are still fighting, right?"

Chelsea nodded and said, "Yeah."

Written by Chelsea.


	59. Chapter 58 Roxas Gets Clued In

This chapter follows Matt as he and Roxas find out that they are going with Kairi and Namine to see Queen Minnie.

Chapter 58

Roxas Gets Clued In

"Woah…" Matt stated looking at his normal sized wrists.

"What just happened?" Roxas asked.

"I think you just performed a Curaga spell, Naminé," Kairi said.

"No way…only master magicians can perform those," Roxas retorted.

"Maybe that's why she's so exhausted," Kairi added as she patted her on the shoulder.

"Cura!" Matt yelled.

She gasped for air as she sat up straight.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked her.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm fine," she answered brushing her hair out of her face.

"When did you learn magic?" Kairi asked Matt.

"What?" Roxas questioned.

"Sorry to change the subject, but…when did you learn magic Matt?"

"When I met Master Yen Sid," Matt answered.

"Master Yen Sid taught you?" Kairi questioned.

"When?!" Naminé added getting excited.

"When he told me about that I was Lightbearer," Matt answered.

"What's a Lightbearer?" Roxas asked skeptically.

Kairi edged her way to Kairi and whispered to her, "Take Matt somewhere, I'll take care of Roxas."

"Why don't we check up on Hayner?" Naminé asked.

"Ok…" Matt agreed helping her to her feet.

Naminé and Kairi gave a half grin at Matt's response.

"Um…" Naminé began looking back at Kairi.

Kairi gave a look of confusion. She pointed to her head and lightly tapped it, making sure Matt and Roxas weren't looking."

"Let's go!" Kairi said suddenly.

They all walked out of the ship and Kairi locked up behind them.

Matt led the way to the Backlot before Kairi yelled out loud.

"What?!" Roxas cried surprised by her sudden outburst.

"I forgot about the back door!" Kairi explained. "I just can't leave it open!"

"What can you do about it?" Matt asked.

"We have a couple Gummi blocks on board. We could temporarily patch things up," she explained.

"That won't get us very far," Roxas pointed out.

"We can travel to Traverse Town and get it fixed then. I've heard that this expert about ships lives there."

"Ok…let's fix it then," Matt said.

"Why don't you take Naminé to the Backlot, Matt? Roxas and I will fix the door then Roxas will show me the way," Kairi said.

"Show me the way Matt!" Naminé quickly shouted as she pulled him down the nearest alleyway.

"Over here Roxas!" Kairi shouted. She had made her way over to the Gummi Ship. She opened the door and waited for Roxas to follow.

Roxas made his way into the ship and sat in one of the seats.

Kairi closed the door and tuned to face Roxas. He had his chin placed in his palms as his elbows sat upon his knees.

His left eyebrow curled as she asked, "Are you going to tell me what's up now?"

Kairi bit her lip before she replied, "Help me first and I'll spill."

"I can live with that."

Kairi walked over to a cabinet and opened the door. On the lowest shelf were about two dozen Gummi blocks. She tossed a couple to Roxas then led the way to the rear of the ship.

"Almost forgot," she said as she placed her blocks down. She ran to the cabinet and returned with a small metal stick with a copper tip.

"We need this to weld these blocks to the ship."

"I thought gummis blend together on their own."

"They do but the ones that created the ship already molded together. The door gummis won't do that auomatically," she explained. "Let's just say that this will mold the door to the ship."

"Ok…" Roxas said.

It took them about ten minutes to fix the door. Kairi and Roxas sat in silence while they fixed the door.

After they were done, Kairi took the copper wand and placed it back in the cabinet. She sat down comfortably and folded her skirt under her legs.

Roxas sat in the seat beside her. He leaned forward letting his hands dangle between his legs.

"What's going on Kairi?"

"Don't interrupt me, ok?" Kairi said brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'll try," Roxas said.

"After you disappeared…" Kairi began.

"I didn't disappear! I got…"

"Roxas!" Kairi shouted. "Don't interrupt!"

"Sorry!" Roxas apologized covering his mouth with both his hands. Before Kairi could restart he flapped them open and said, "I was helping Master Yen Sid…and that's the last time I'll interrupt."

Kairi walked over to the cabinet to get something. She began to rummage through the cabinet before returning with a role of duct tape.

"Kairi…" Roxas started.

Kairi ripped off a long piece and answered, "Just in case." She gently placed it over his mouth.

After a few moments of whining from Roxas, Kairi continued with her story.

"After you disappeared, Queen Minnie summoned us to the castle. King Mickey had been kidnapped, and she sent us off to find his captors. We did find them, but they wanted something for his safe return."

"Chelesax and Xtmat wanted the two Lightbearers. We went back to report to Queen Minnie and that's when she told us the legend. It said that five teens with the initials S,K,N,R, and R have to find the Lightbearers so they can save the King."

Roxas continued to grunt, but Kairi continued undistracted by him.

"Queen Minnie suspects that we're the five teens. We came here to find the male Lightbearer and Riku and Sora went to find the female. The Queen gave Naminé a keyblade and also gave us this ship," she said motioning around her.

"And yes…I know it's pink…but what we think is that Matt is the male Lightbearer. I've tried to mind connect with Sora but it never works. We came here to find him and you and now that we have, we have to take him back to save the King," Kairi finished.

Kairi started to cry. She placed her face into her palms and let all of her emotions run loose.

"Mmm..mmm.mm," Roxas mumbled.

Kairi looked up and reached out. She tore the tape off his mouth.

"Ouch!" Roxas screamed rubbing his mouth area. "That hurt!"

Written by Matt.


	60. Chapter 59 Yuffie's Advice

This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets a strange man, and Riku as he asks Yuffie for her advice about a problem he has.

Chapter 59

Yuffie's Advice

Sora stood completely still. His mouth hung open. He finally found his voice and asked, "What was that?"

Chelsea and Riku looked over at Sora. Each of their faces turned red slowly. Riku spoke first. He said, "Umm…a kiss."

"I can see that. Why did you kiss each other?" he asked.

"Umm…well…yeah. Can we just get back to cleaning?" Chelsea asked. She couldn't lift her gaze to meet Riku's.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Riku agreed quickly.

Chelsea handed Riku a rag and took one for herself. Sora picked up the one he had dropped. They each took to their own work. Chelsea couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. She didn't know why it had happened, but she knew that she had liked it.

They had everything dusted after ten diligent minutes of rigorous cleaning. The only thing left was the bed. Chelsea looked at Sora and Riku and said, "No one can sleep on this in its current condition. Someone should go and buy new sheets for it."

"Yeah, maybe in a shade of blue," Sora suggested.

"I will go," Chelsea offered. Sora and Riku nodded their agreement. She then added, "I will be back soon." She walked out of the room. Sora and Riku heard the door click shut.

Sora looked at Riku and asked, "So, what was up with that kiss?"

"I don't know. She was standing so close and…" Riku began.

"You know, now you are gonna have to say something to her," Sora added.

"What do you mean?" Riku questioned.

"You like her, right?"

"Yeah."

"And now you kissed her."

"So?"

"You are gonna have to tell her why you kissed her."

"I guess…I'm just…afraid."

"Of what?"

"That she won't feel the same way about me."

"I have a way to find out."

"How?"

"Ask Yuffie."

Riku nodded his agreement. He was running all the possible outcomes through his head. He stood up from his seat on the bedroom floor. He started to walk to the door. He stopped and turned around. He said, "I'm going to ask. Don't tell her where I went."

"Okay," Sora agreed.

Chelsea was wandering through the crowded streets of the Second District wondering about the kiss. She wasn't all that sure where to go to buy bed sheets, so she was walking through the Second District trying to find a store that looked like it did. She decided that the Accessory Shop would be a good place to start.

She walked through the huge wooden door into the First District. Once through, she ran into the back of a man. She looked up to see who it was. "I'm sorry," she said.

The man turned around. "That's okay," he said.

Chelsea looked at the mans face. He had green hair and wore a long bright red cloak. He had one deep brown eye and one brilliant blue eye.

"I…didn't…mean…it," Chelsea said slowly noticing his bi-colored eyes.

"It's okay…my name is Rexsil Yenck," the man said changing the subject. "What's your name?"

"Chelsea," she answered timidly.

"Hey, do you have a map?"

"For what?"

"'Cause I'm getting lost in your eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"Just kidding…I noticed you were lost in mine."

"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't mean anything by it."

"No, it's okay. It's usually the first thing people notice about me. That's why I dyed my hair green."

"Well it didn't work. I'm sorry, but I still noticed your eyes first."

Riku walked into the Second District with single minded determination. He wanted to know what Yuffie had to say, but at the same time he was terrified. He reached the hotel and timidly opened the door. He strode past the check-in counter and down the hall to Yuffie's room.

Riku knocked on the door. He could hear muffled footsteps approaching the door. The door clicked open to reveal Yuffie.

"Hi…umm…Riku, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Come in," she said. She moved away from the door to let Riku enter. He slowly entered the room. Yuffie closed the green door behind Riku. She walked over to the table and sat down. She motioned for Riku to do the same.

"I…umm…have an odd question for you," Riku said as he sat down.

"About what?" Yuffie questioned.

"Chelsea," he responded.

Chelsea stood by the door to the Second District with Rexsil. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He had captured her heart. She was now faced with a problem: who did she like more, Riku or Rexsil.

"So, where were you headed in such a hurry?" Rexsil asked breaking into Chelsea's thoughts.

"I…umm…was going to buy sheets," she answered.

"Would you mind if I accompanied you?" he asked.

"Not at all," she answered.

He offered her his arm. She took it graciously. They continued into the First District. They approached the Accessory Shop. Chelsea stopped and entered the shop.

"Hi Chelsea. What can I do for you?" the moogle asked.

"I need some sheets," she answered.

"What color?" the moogle asked.

"Blue," she responded.

"I will get those for you," the moogle said gliding away.

Chelsea leaned against the counter. Rexsil joined her. He said, "So…what are the sheets for?"

"My two friends and I have a small house and we needed new sheets for the bed," she explained.

"Oh…this may seem forward, but do you think I could stay with you for a while? I'm new here and need a place to stay," he asked.

"I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind," Chelsea answered.

Riku sat with Yuffie in her hotel room. Yuffie asked, "What do you want to know about her?"

"Well…I have a major crush on her. I sort of just kissed her," Riku began.

"You do? You did?" Yuffie asked excitedly.

"Yeah…I thought maybe you could tell me if she has a crush on me?" he asked.

"Oh she d…sorry, I'm not supposed to tell you," she began.

"Come on, please," Riku pleaded.

"I'm sorry. The only advice I can offer you is to tell her how you feel," Yuffie said.

"Okay…thanks," Riku said. He stood up and walked to the door. "See you later."

"Bye," Yuffie said.

Riku walked out the door and closed it tightly behind him. He retraced his steps to the Third District. He entered the secret base. Sora was awaiting his arrival.

"So…what did she say?" Sora asked from his seat on the couch.

The moogle came gliding back holding a pack of blue sheets. He sat it down on the counter.

"Thanks, how much do I owe you?" Chelsea asked.

"Fifty munny," the moogle responded.

"I've got it," Rexsil said. He pulled out fifty munny from his pocket and handed it to the moogle.

"That's sweet of you," Chelsea said. She picked up the sheets and took Rexsil's arm.

They walked out of the Accessory Shop and into the First District. They took the short cut back to the Third District. Once in the Third District, Rexsil stopped, "I don't want to cause any trouble to you and your friends," he said.

"You won't, believe me," Chelsea said.

They walked up to the secret base. From what Chelsea could see through the window, Sora and Riku sat on the couch talking. She entered the house with Rexsil close behind.

"Hi, Chelsea, who is this?" Sora said.

"This is Rexsil. I bumped into him in the First District," she explained.

"How could you bring a stranger here?" Riku burst out.

"He's nice and besides, he's new in town and needed a place to stay," she responded.

"So you said he could stay here?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, I didn't think you guys would mind," Chelsea said.

Chelsea sat the sheets down on the table. She moved closer to Riku. Rexsil stood his ground near the door.

"Where is he going to sleep?" Riku spat.

"On the floor in here. You and Sora get the bed while I have the couch," Chelsea answered.

"Oh, no way!" Riku hollered.

"What?" Chelsea asked.

Sora sat on the couch in silent thought. He wondered if Riku would finally tell her or if they would kiss again.

"Never mind," Riku said.

"Come on Rexsil," Chelsea said. When she turned around he was gone. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know, he was just there," Sora said.

Written by Chelsea.


	61. Chapter 60 Lady Lucilles Secret Revealed

This chapter follows Matt as he learns Lady Lucille's secret.

Chapter 60

Lady Lucille's Secret Revealed

"Here it is!" Matt exclaimed.

Naminé looked over the entrance to the Backlot.

There was a rusted gate blocking most of the entry way except for a walk-hole big enough for a person to walk through. A dirt infested carpet hung over part of that hole. There were garbage cans and trash everywhere before the gate. Also there were many cardboard boxes across the entrance way.

"Do you like it?" Matt asked.

"It's…lovely," she said as she forced a half-smile.

They started walking to the entrance when Hayner, Pence, and Olette came walking out.

"Hey guys," Matt said. He walked over to Hayner and patted him on the back. "How ya doing?"

"Still in shock…I'm a little nauseas, but I'm okay," Hayner replied.

"We were heading to the Potion Shop to get something for him," Olette said.

"Where're Kairi and Roxas?" Pence questioned.

"They're back at the ship, fixing the door," Naminé answered.

"They were going to meet us here," Matt added.

"It's fine…the Potion Shop is in the same direction of here from the ship. We'll see them at some point," Olette stated.

"Can we tag along?" Naminé asked.

"That's what I meant by 'we'." Olette retorted.

"Do you mind if we go to the Accessory Shop afterwards? I need to get my pay at some point. Also…I forgot about Allie."

"Who's Allie?" Naminé asked.

"My cat."

"When did you get a cat?" Pence queried.

"A while ago…don't ask," Matt said to Pence. "It's a long story that you don't want to hear," he said as he pulled Hayner from Pence and began walking towards the potion shop.

"But I want to hear it!" Naminé pouted.

"To keep it short and sweet…magic," Matt said.

"Magic?" Olette questioned. "Explain…"

"Ok…" Matt explained realizing there was no way out of explaining. "It all started when I met this wizard named Merlin…"

They were just outside the Potion Shop as Matt continued with his story.

"And that's where I met Master Yen Sid," he said. Naminé stopped in her tracks.

"The Master Yen Sid?" she questioned. "When did you see him?"

"He _summoned_ for me."

"Who _**is**_ he?" Pence asked.

"He's a Master magician, probably the greatest one of all time, but how did you meet him?" Naminé stammered still shocked by Matt's revelation.

"I met him a while back," Matt said.

He walked inside with Hayner leaving Naminé to ponder.

"Hello Hayner!" said the owner.

He was an old man who dressed in ragged clothing. He had little hair on the sides of his head that looked as if he had tried to comb it over his bald scalp. He wore a pair of rimmed glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"Are you ok Hayner?" he asked noticing Hayner's pale green coloring in his face.

"Nauseous…"

"We came for a potion," Olette said.

"Ah…here's just the thing," he said pulling something out from behind the counter. "For just seventeen munny this you can keep for four more uses."

He held up a bottle decorated lightly with glitter. It was a light green bottle in the shape of a heart.

"Crap!" Pence shouted. "I forgot munny!"

"Me too!" Olette added forging out her own pockets.

"Sorry kids…I can't give store credit…it's unfair to other customers."

"Well then dearie…I'll take care of it!" Lady Lucille yelled.

Everyone jumped at her sudden appearance, but she pulled money from her large jeweled purse and handed over to the store clerk.

"There you are miss! Have a great day!" he said as he retreated to the back of the store.

"Thanks honey! Now…were you dolls off to?" Lady Lucille queried as she handed the potion to Hayner. Hayner quickly took the small bottle from her and opened it. He drank its contents in one big gulp.

"We were heading over to the Accessory Shop to pick up my pay and Allie," Matt explained to her.

"May I tag along sweeties?"

"Sure," Naminé answered.

"Feeling better?" Matt asked Hayner.

"Tons…" Hayner said standing up straight, cracking his back in the process.

"Well…that's better," Pence agreed.

They continued to talk about Hayner's return to his healthy self as they walked in front of the Accessory Shop.

"Here it is guys!" Matt said.

"Come on in!" Roxas added as he held the doors open for everybody.

As they walked in, Huey rushed to their aid.

"Hello sir...madams. I'm Huey…oh...it's you guys. Thought you two would never come back!"

"Yeah…we had some trouble," Roxas shrugged looking at Matt.

"Well here's your pay!" Huey said giving each of them an envelope.

Roxas took it and glanced inside. "Wow! There's three thousand munny here!"

Matt glanced inside his quickly, but his anxiety was relieved. "Different world…different money."

"Meow!"

"Allie!" Matt yelled dropping to his knees.

Allie kept running past him though. At once she jumped and began attacking Lady Lucille. Lady Lucille cried in shock.

"Allie!" Matt yelled grabbing her. Allie clawed against Matt's arm before biting him. She jumped from him to Lady Lucille yet again.

"What is wrong with you?" Matt asked.

"Matt…look," Naminé said tapping his shoulder. She pointed to Lady Lucille's strained face.

Her sea green eyes turned sharply to yellow as her face began to slim.

"Get off me you stupid cat!" she yelled.

Her long brown hair began to shorten and turn blonde.

"Off!" she shrieked throwing Allie across the room.

"Chelesax!" Kairi and Naminé gasped.

The woman dressed in Lady Lucille's clothes turned to greet her viewers.

"Yes…it's me!" Chelesax cheered.

"Who are you?" Matt questioned in complete shock.

Chelesax gave a half-hearted gasp.

Her voice filled with fake concern as she asked, "You mean Kairi and Naminé didn't tell you about me?"

Matt turned to the two girls as his face drained of all color.

Kairi's mouth was hanging open as if she was trying to explain.

Naminé's eyes filled with tears as she just stood there.

"So that's Chelesax…" Roxas stated.

"You know her? Why is it tat I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on!?" Mat asked. "Do you guys know who she is?" Matt asked his fellow Backlot members.

They stood huddled in a group with looks of bewilderment across their faces.

"What are you not telling me?!" Matt yelled.

"Matt…" Naminé whined.

"Well, it seems to me that you have some catching up to do with your…'friends'," Chelesax stated. She lightly snapped her fingers.

A swarm of Heartless appeared throughout the store.

"Well then…" Chelesax started as she disappeared, "catch up."

Written by Matt


	62. Chapter 61 A Meeting of Minds

This chapter follows Xtmat and Chelesax as they discuss future plans.

Chapter 61

A Meeting of the Minds

Chelesax stormed down the hall with rage, shrieking with rage. Her long black cloak dragged behind across the floor.

"I did tell you it would not work," Xtmat said.

"Zip it, Zithead," Chelesax ranted as she continued to storm across the hallway.

"If you are through with your shenanigans, we have important matters to discuss," Xtmat said quickening his pace to catch up with her.

"Like what?" she asked sarcastically.

"You happen to know very well 'what'," Xtmat started. "The Lightbearers now know our existence and what is worse than that, the Keyblade welders know we have been following them."

"What's the big deal Xtmat?" Chelesax asked. "They're going to come back here anyway."

"What makes you so sure? The teenagers will now be asking themselves if we were following them why then did we send them to find the Lightbearers when we could have done that ourselves?!" Xtmat barked becoming upset.

"You know the answer to that! It's because we wanted to evolve the Lightbearers' powers with the Keywelders' help! That way when we take their powers, we will be strong enough to open the door to Kingdom Hearts!"

"Do you think I am unaware of that?! Fool! I came up with this plan!" Xtmat snapped.

He opened the door which they were standing next to. Through the door was a long stairway welled in darkness. The only light that illuminated the area was the light coming from the few lanterns held up against the wall.

The stairs were covered in dust and cobwebs, but there remained the few footsteps from the previous person who walked down these stairs.

As Xtmat walked down the stairs creaked with every step.

As Xtmat approached the bottom of the stairwell, Chelesax took one giant leap and landed softly on her feet.

She followed her colleague as he approached the nearby jail cell.

"You'll never win…darkness never wins," said the faint voice of King Mickey.

"Silence!" Xtmat yelled. He summoned a dark energy ball into his hand and launched it at the king.

It hit him square in his beaten and bruised chest. With a loud groan he silenced.

"Are you sure they will come then?" Chelesax said.

"We cannot be sure," Xtmat answered. "He means too much too them, for they to let him rot here."

Xtmat stared over a limp body next to King Mickey. He laughed to himself quietly before he turned and began to walk back up the stairs.

"Funny things…hearts…how they show emotion for the most pathetic of creatures."

"You better be right," Chelesax responded as she leaped ten steps at a time.

"Do not worry…after all, we have just received another most wonderful bargaining chip."

They laughed together as the limp body of Master Yen Sid lay motionless on the ground next to the King.

Written by Matt.


	63. Chapter 62 Riku's True Feelings

This chapter follows Chelsea as she learns Riku's true feelings.

Chapter 62

Riku's True Feelings

"That's odd," Chelsea mused.

"He just disappeared," Sora said.

"Well good riddance," Riku said.

Chelsea slumped to the ground. Sora jumped off the couch and helped her off the floor. Riku stayed where he was. He was mad at Chelsea for having brought Rexsil back with her. He despised him. He couldn't get the was she looked at Rexsil out of his mind. She never looked _him _that way.

"Riku…" Chelsea said gently.

Riku looked up at Chelsea. "What?" he asked.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked. She looked at him with true concern.

"I…I'm fine," he stuttered. He recognized that look. That was the same look she gave Rexsil.

"That's great! You looked a little ill," she said. She gave him a hug, then picked up the sheets and skipped out of the room.

Sora sat down next to Riku on the couch. "So when are you going to tell her?" he asked.

"I think I am going to tell her right before bed," Riku whispered.

"Okay," Sora agreed.

"I'm gonna go help Chelsea with those sheets," Riku said. He stood up and walked into the bedroom. Chelsea was standing over the bed. She was fighting with the sheets.

Chelsea heard someone behind her. She turned around to see who it was. "Oh, hi Riku," she laughed.

"Looks like you need help," he observed.

"Yeah, I never could make a bed," she responded.

"It's not that hard," Riku said. He took one end of the sheet and stretched it out. They laid it over the bed. Chelsea picked up the next sheet. She handed Riku one end. They started to place the sheet on the bed when Chelsea tripped. She landed on the bed. When she fell, the sheet slipped and Riku came tumbling down next to her.

"That hurt," Chelsea said. She began laughing at their incident.

"It's not that funny," Riku protested.

"Yes it is. If Sora walked in right now he would freak," Chelsea observed.

Riku looked at their positions. He was lying on his back right next to Chelsea who was on her side. "I guess he would," he laughed.

"See, I told you I wasn't very good at making a bed," Chelsea said.

"I noticed. Hey, I'm sorry for the way I acted when you introduced us to Rexsil," he apologized.

"No, it's my fault. I should never have brought him here. I guess I just lost my common sense for a moment," Chelsea offered.

"Not to be rude, but did he tell you anything about himself?" Riku questioned.

"Actually…now that I think about it…no he didn't," she answered.

Riku had inched closer to Chelsea. He was now on his side facing her. He had moved close enough to Chelsea that he could feel the heat emanating from her body.

"Don't you find that odd?" Riku asked.

"A little. He told me that he dyed his hair green and that he was new in town. Then he asked if he could stay with us. I said yes because I knew how he felt," Chelsea explained.

"The thing I find haunting about him is that odd red cloak he was wearing," Riku said.

"I guess I was under his spell. I never had a guy hit on me before and I guess when he did I got lost in the moment," Chelsea said.

"What have we here?" Sora asked as he walked into the room.

"Uh…we were making the bed," Riku answered. His cheeks had a slight pink color to them.

"It sure doesn't look that way," Sora observed.

"Well…we each tripped on the edge of the sheets and this is how we landed," Chelsea explained. She has sat up along with Riku.

"Relax, I'm only kidding," Sora laughed.

"You jerk!" Riku yelled as he threw a pillow at Sora. Sora caught the incoming pillow.

"I know I am," Sora responded.

"Let's make this bed," Chelsea said as she stood up. Riku jumped off the bed and picked up the edge he had tripped over.

Sora helped them straighten out the sheets and neatly place them on the bed. This completed the cleaning of the house. "I'm gonna stay here and do some planning," Sora said.

Chelsea and Riku left Sora sitting on the bed. They sat down on the couch. Riku turned to Chelsea and blushed. He knew he wanted to tell her how he felt, but was afraid to do it. Chelsea gave him a look of passion. The look made Riku blush harder.

"Why are you blushing?" Chelsea asked.

"I…umm…well…" Riku began.

"Just tell me," Chelsea coaxed.

"I like you, Chelsea. Like I like you, like you," Riku blurted out.

"_You _like _her_?" a voice asked. Chelsea and Riku looked over to the door where the voice had come from. Rexsil stood in the doorway.

"Yes, yes I do, "Riku answered.

"Don't make me laugh. Why would she choose you over me?" Rexsil asked.

"She only just met you! She doesn't know anything about you!" Riku hollered.

"Guys, stop it!" Chelsea cried.

"Oh, come on, you aren't gonna listen to this random man you met today, are you?" Riku asked.

"Chelsea, you aren't going to listen to this hero wanna-be, are you?" Rexsil asked.

"Would you both just stop it?" Chelsea yelled.

"Choose between us," Riku insisted.

At that moment, the door opened and Aerith walked in. "Rexsil, so this is where you went," she said.

"Aerith, you know him?" Chelsea asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend," she explained.

"What?" Riku and Chelsea asked in unison.

"Yeah," Aerith said.

"Well then, Rexsil, you lose. I choose Riku," Chelsea decided.

"Really?" Riku asked.

"Yes," Chelsea said.

"You will regret the day you said no to me," Rexsil spat.

"Whatever do your worst, you can't hurt me," Chelsea said.

"Chelsea, how dare you talk to my boyfriend like that!" Aerith yelled.

"Aerith, what's your problem?" Chelsea asked.

"Never mind, let's go Rexsil," Aerith said walking out the door.

"Does that mean you like me too?" Riku asked.

"Yes, I really do," Chelsea responded. She wrapped her arms around Riku and kissed him.

Written by Chelsea


	64. Chapter 63 Wingblader

This chapter follows Matt as he receives a mysterious new weapon.

Chapter 63

Wingblader

"Wait! Get back here!" Matt screamed at the top of his voice. "Lady Lucille! Chelesax! Whoever you are get back here!"

"Matt! Look out!" Kairi yelled.

The Heartless that appeared began to attack. Kairi stepped in front of Matt and vanquished the creature approaching him with her Keyblade.

"Hop to it, Matt!" Roxas yelled striking the nearest Heartless.

"Our store!" Huey yelled as he witnessed Naminé deflect two Heartless into the nearest shelf, knocking all of its contents onto the floor.

"What's going on here?" yelled Dewey. He had returned from the back room, apparently disturbed by the ruckus.

"Huey! Dewey! Get out of here!" Matt yelled summoning his Keyblade.

"You have a Keyblade?!" Dewey yelled. Huey tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

"Get out guys!" Matt repeated continuing to attack the Heartless. Huey and Dewey retreated to behind the store counter.

"You guys get out of her too!" Roxas yelled across the room to Hayner, Pence, and Olette who were hiding behind the nearest broken shelf.

"Don't need to tell us twice!" Hayner replied as he ran out of the store. Pence and Olette followed right after him.

"Someone tell me what's going on!" Matt demanded as he made his way to the middle of the room to join his three companions.

"Not the best time, Matt!" Roxas retorted knocking a crowd of the shadow creatures into the air.

"I want to know now!" Matt repeated bashing a Heartless on top of the head.

"Definitely not a good time, Matt!" Naminé yelled as she sent waves of fire upon the creatures.

"Can you wait at least these things are gone?!" Kairi shrieked as three nearby creatures attacked her.

"Or at least until they are out of the store!" yelled Huey and Dewey from behind the counter.

Hatred built up inside Matt. The emotions rising inside him made him both angry and annoyed.

"Why isn't anybody telling me?' he thought. "Does it have to do with these things!"

"Go away!" he screamed sending the nearest two Heartless flying across the room.

Then Matt remembered what Master Yen Sid had told him.

"Wish it…and it will happen."

Master Yen Sid's voice rang throughout Matt's head.

"I wish these things were gone!" Matt thought aloud.

Matt screamed. His hands flew above him. Dreamscape spun rapidly above his head as it illuminated.

The room filled with an enormous light that blinded all the store's inhabitants.

The light dimmed after a few seconds.

Matt opened his eyes to reveal to himself a store with broken shelves, supplies, and windows. There were no Heartless in sight. Everyone in the room was staring at him.

"Was that your power, Matt?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," Matt snapped. "Answer my question first and then maybe I'll answer yours."

"How did you do that?" Naminé questioned.

"I don't know…" Matt strode off. He reached out to open the door when it flew open.

Louie's jaw dropped as he looked over the remnants of his store as he walked through the open doors.

"What happened here?!" he shouted. "I'm gone fore a half a day and I find the store in rambles!"

"Matt's a Lightbearer, Louie," Dewey said calmly.

"Who's going to pay for…" Louie droned off. He stared at Matt, then focused on his brothers.

"He's…one of them?" Louie asked.

"Yeah…" Huey answered. "Matt, come here."

He opened the display box and pushed aside various objects. He then moved a board off the bottom and revealed a hidden chest underneath it.

"What's in there?" Roxas questioned.

"You'll see," Huey said as he placed the chest on the countertop.

It was intricately decorated.

It was a silver chest with three huge latches on top of it, held together by four locks.

"Before we opened shop, King Mickey gave us a visit," Louie said.

He pulled a key from his pocket and placed it in the first lock.

As Dewey placed his own key in the second lock he continued the story, "He gave us this chest and told us that it contained a powerful weapon."

Huey placed the third key in the lock and said, "He told us that the male Lightbearer possesses the fourth key…that he would be able to open the chest."

"The fourth key…" Matt said to himself. He thought for a few seconds and then it hit him.

He unbuckled Dreamscape from his belt loop and placed it.

Matt took a deep breath and then turned the key. With a huge click, it opened.

Everybody gathered around the chest and looked inside.

Inside the chest there was a blue velvet cushion and placed neatly in the center was another Keyblade charm. On the bottom of the lid in creative writing there was the name,WINGBLADER

The charm was completely different than that of Dreamscape.

There was a handle in the center, that issued from both ends a stem. At the end of each stem there was what appeared to be a miniature wing at the end.

"Wingblader…" Matt said as he picked it up.

At once, both Wingblader and Dreamscape appeared in his hands, Dreamscape in his right, Wingblader in his left.

"Woah," Roxas let out, staring in amazement at the new weapon.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie all let out whistles as they stared at Matt's new weapon.

"I can't battle left handed!" Matt screamed. "I'm right handed! I can hardly shake hands with my left hand!" he said flailing his left arm around desperately trying to jab with it.

"You can try!" Naminé said.

"You'll get used to it Matt. I did," Roxas added.

"No…I…won't!" Matt said turning around so quickly that Wingblader flew out of his hand.

It spun swiftly in the air and smashed into the nearest shelf. Although rather than stopping it continued to spin and tear it to shreds.

After a few seconds it came flying back into Matt's outstretched hand.

Everyone in the room gaped at Matt for a few seconds before they said anything.

"It's like…a boomerang," Matt stated.

"It's powerful too," Naminé said noticing that the shelf had deteriorated into dust.

"Our shelves…" Huey whined.

"That's awesome!" Kairi exclaimed.

"It's going to come in quite handy," Roxas said.

"Not if I'm not there! So somebody tell me what's going on…or I'm walking!" Matt yelled.

Written by Matt


	65. Chapter 64 Something's Fishy

This chapter follows Chelsea as she, Sora, and Riku try to figure out why Aerith has been acting odd.

Chapter 64

Something's Fishy

Sora walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. He came in just in time to see Chelsea and Riku lip-lock. He stood in the doorway for a few minutes thinking about Kairi.

When Riku and Chelsea broke apart, Sora stepped into the room. "What was all the yelling about?" he asked.

"Riku told me he liked me, and then Rexsil came in laughing at Riku. Rexsil asked why I would choose Riku over him, and then Aerith appeared saying that Rexsil was her boyfriend. She seemed different, more assertive," Chelsea explained.

"Something's wrong with Aerith," Riku chimed in.

"Oh, so I guess I know who Chelsea picked," Sora said slyly.

"Yeah, she chose me," Riku said proudly.

"I have had a crush on you since the moment we met," Chelsea said.

"I only saw a picture of you and I fell for you," Riku said.

"You said that Aerith was acting kinda funny?" Sora asked interrupting the two lovers.

"Yeah, she's acting like a stuck-up snob," Chelsea added.

"There is definitely something wrong with her," Riku agreed.

"So…umm…should we help her?" Sora asked.

"Yes we should. She's a good friend of mine," Chelsea said assertively.

Chelsea and Riku each took a seat on the couch. Sora sat down on the small table across from the couch. They all sat, absorbed in their own thoughts. Chelsea was trying to figure out a way to bring Aerith back to her senses. Sora was thinking about Kairi. He missed her. The way she giggled, her beautiful smile, how good she was…anyway he missed her. Riku couldn't think of anything but Chelsea. He knew she was the perfect girl for him.

"I have a suggestion, "Sora said breaking the silence.

"Let's hear it," Chelsea pressed.

"Maybe we should go to Aerith's room and try to reason with her," Sora suggested.

"It's worth a try," Chelsea agreed.

"I don't know…she seemed to be under a spell rather than acting of her own intentions," Riku mused.

"That may be, but if we go to see her, we may be able to break the spell," Chelsea returned.

"That's true…okay, let's go," Riku agreed.

Sora jumped up from his seat. Chelsea and Riku followed suit. Chelsea grabbed her backpack from the corner. She pulled out her cell phone and checked her calls. She missed four calls from her mom. She looked up from the screen of her phone; her complexion was visibly paler.

"Chelsea…are you okay?" Sora asked noticing that she was pale.

"Umm…" Chelsea began. She started to stagger and began to fall forward. Riku rushed over and caught her before she could hit the ground. He dragged her over to the couch and carefully laid her down.

Sora stood over her. He was worried for her. She had looked at her cell phone and the next thing he knew she had fainted. Riku sat down on the edge of the couch. He looked at Chelsea; eyes full of concern.

Chelsea's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and asked, "Ohh…what happened?"

"You looked at your phone and then became very pale. Then you fainted," Riku answered.

"Oh…that's right," Chelsea said.

"What made you faint?" Sora asked.

"I noticed that I had four missed calls from my mom. I then got very lightheaded, almost as if someone cast a spell on me," she explained.

"Hmm…I wonder…" Riku said.

"What?" Chelsea asked.

"Well…I was just thinking, maybe Aerith or Rexsil cast a spell on you to keep you from going to see her," Riku answered.

"Hey, that's not a bad theory, Riku," Sora agreed.

"But why would they want us away from Aerith?" Chelsea asked.

"So that they are safe. That way they can keep her on their side," Sora said.

Riku and Chelsea both looked at Sora and said, "Huh?"

"I believe that Xtmat and Chelesax put a spell on Aerith so that she would do their bidding. It may have even been Rexsil," Sora answered.

"Wow, you put a lot of thought into that theory," Chelsea said.

"Not really, it was just that Rexsil gave me that idea," Sora said.

"See, I told you there was something fishy about him," Riku teased.

"Okay, okay…so I may have misjudged him," Chelsea admitted.

"Ha, I was right! Yes, victory!" Riku shouted.

Chelsea and Sora exchanged glances. Sora said, "Riku, calm down."

"I love being right," he responded.

"We still don't know you are right. At least not truly," Chelsea said bursting his bubble.

Riku looked at Chelsea and said, "You can't let me have my moment, can you?"

She smiled at him and replied, "Nope."

"So…we have three suspects," Sora pointed out.

"Yeah, but why would they put a spell on Aerith of all people?" Chelsea asked.

"She must have some ability they found appealing," Sora answered.

"Like what?" Riku interjected.

"Umm…oh. Her spell casting abilities. She is a master at casting spells," Chelsea remembered.

"That must be it. They were probably planning on using her to get to you," Sora said.

"Okay…that doesn't explain why she said Rexsil was her boyfriend," Chelsea added.

"Hmm…maybe it's more than a spell. Maybe they found a way into her heart and undid the existing chains and created new, fake ones that they had created," Riku proposed.

Sora looked at Riku and gave him a slight nod. He said, "Like what happened to me."  
Chelsea snapped her gaze over to Sora. She gave him a questioning look. He nodded in return as if to say, yes. "What happened to you?" she asked. She wanted as much detail as she could get out of him.

"Well…a few years ago Riku, Kairi, and I were separated. I found my Keyblade and used it to help try and find them. I did, but Kairi had lost her heart and Riku had given in to the darkness in his heart," Sora said. At the mention of himself, Riku looked away as if ashamed of his choice. "I gave up my heart to free Kairi's and I turned into a Heartless. That is when Roxas and Namine were created. I defeated Ansem, the man responsible for the Heartless. Kairi was sent back to our island, but Riku wasn't he and the King were trapped behind the Door to Darkness. I still had a journey to complete. I, along with Donald Duck and Goofy continued our search for Riku and their King Mickey. Along our path we found a strange castle called Castle Oblivion. In there we lost our memories because Organization 13 was holding Namine hostage. Namine holds the power to delve into your heart and undo the chains binding it. She then can create new fake memories. I had forgotten about Kairi and had replaced her with Namine. I freed Namine and she had me, Donald, and Goofy sleep in three flower shaped pods," Sora finished.

Chelsea looked at Sora and then at Riku, her mouth hanging open. "Wow, you have been through a lot. How did you find Riku and King Mickey?" she asked.

"Well…after, I was told, a year passed with us sleeping we woke up in a strange mansion in a strange town. As we entered the town, I felt like I had been there before. I knew that I hadn't, of course. That was Twilight Town where Roxas had lived before he merged with me to wake me up. Donald, Goofy, and I met up with the King and he gave us munny. Then we went to see Master Yen Sid. After his instructions we left and traveled to many worlds looking for King Mickey and Riku. Along the way we had to destroy Organization 13. Eventually we found our way into the Organization's stronghold. We met up with a man that looked like Ansem, but it was Riku, who had given up his body to be able to use the power of darkness to aid us in battle. I found the re-kidnapped Kairi along the way. After we met up with King Mickey, who was aiding a man in a red cloak and had his face covered with red bandages. He revealed himself to be Ansem the Wise. The true Ansem. We defeated the last surviving member of Organization 13. Namine and Roxas found their way back to Twilight Town. Kairi, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy made their way home. Riku and I ended up in a place of darkness. I got a letter from Kairi there. We then returned home through a door to light," Sora finished.

"Wow, so I have a few questions. Who was the other Ansem you defeated and how did Namine and Roxas get back to Twilight town?" Chelsea asked.

"The other Ansem was Ansem the Wises foremost apprentice Xehanort. He lost his heart and went by the name Ansem. So we had defeated Xehanort's Heartless the first time. Namine and Roxas appeared when Kairi and I were together because they are our Nobody's. Instad of going home with the others they went to Twilight Town," Sora explained.

Chelsea sat in stunned silence. "That is a lot to do. How did you manage to keep your spirits up?" she asked.

"Easy, I always had something to fight for," Sora replied.

Riku had sat quietly through the entire story. Chelsea looked over at him. His eyes were filled with tears. He looked as if he was struggling not to cry.

"Riku…are you okay?" Chelsea asked gently.

"I…I'm fine," he choked out.

"Are you sure?" she pressed.

"Yes, just mad at myself over the choices I had made," he said.

"That's all in the past now," Chelsea said comfortingly.

"Yeah, we should focus on the problem at hand," Sora said.

"Yeah, so do you suspect that Aerith has had the chains of her heart undid?" Chelsea asked.

"It's a good possibility, but we won't be sure until we go ask her," Sora answered.

"Okay…let's go," Chelsea said standing up.

Written by Chelsea.


	66. Chapter 65 An Accident

No hints on this chapter. Read on to see what happens.

Chapter 65

An Accident

Everyone remained silent for a few seconds.

Matt changed his glance from person to person expecting one of them to explain the answers he wanted to hear. He looked on the verge of tears.

"What is going on?!" he yelled out in frustration.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie all stood up to make their presence known.

"We'll leave you guys alone for a while," they all said.

One by one they all left through the side entrance. Huey took a hold of the knob and closed it shut behind him.

With the click of the lock Matt turned his attention back to his comrades.

"What is going on?!" he repeated.

He gave each of them an ice cold stare that seemed to seep to their souls. Roxas inched his way towards Matt steadily.

"Just to let you know…I only found this out earlier today," he said.

"When?!" Matt yelled shocked. "Why wasn't I there too?!"

Roxas opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.

"Because we thought…" Kairi started.

As soon as the words parted her lips, Matt turned to look at her.

"We thought…that you didn't need to know quite just yet," Kairi explained.

"How could you think that?" Matt questioned.

"We're sorry," Naminé cried. "It was an accident."

"You mean a mistake," Matt corrected harshly.

"Yes…it was," Naminé replied. "And we're sorry!"

Matt stared at Naminé. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared back.

With a huge sigh, Matt fell to the ground landing in a sitting position.

"Who _was_ that?" Matt asked kindly.

Roxas sat down beside Matt as did Naminé. Kairi sat down directly across.

"_That_ was Chelesax," Kairi stated.

"Who is she?" Matt asked.

Kairi gave a little sigh and asked Matt, "Are you going to keep interrupting me?"

"Depends…" Matt said

Naminé gave a little giggle. Matt turned away, blushing.

"Too bad you don't have the _duct tape_, Kairi," Roxas said lightly scratching his upper lip.

Kairi went on ignoring him, "That was Chelesax. She's one of the Illuminous Depthors."

"What?" Matt asked.

"Their the most powerful and evil of all our enemies," Naminé responded. "They wish to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, but I don't see what that has to do with you."

Matt contemplated on these words before he said, "They want to steal my power."

As he said this, Allie returned from the back corner of the room and sat down between Matt's knees and lifted her chin up, expecting him to pet her. He did.

"How do you know that?" Roxas asked after several moments of silence.

"Master Yen Sid told me," Matt answered without thought.

"What?" Kairi and Naminé responded simultaneously.

"He told me that my power was rare…only one other person controlled this gift."

"That's where Sora and Riku went…to find her," Kairi said.

"He said that there would be people trying to _steal_ my power." Matt remembered.

Matt looked to his friends as Allie purred from her comfort.

"Is that that who she is? Is that why Lady Lucille, I mean…Chelesax, has been following me? To steal my power?"

"That has to be why she's been following us!" Roxas exclaimed. "It all fits!"

"But if she wanted to steal my power, why didn't she do it when I first met her?" Matt queried.

"To gain your trust!" Roxas argued.

"But I was weak then!"

"But you're stronger now!"

Roxas and Matt fought and argued about what was going on; Kairi huddled with Naminé discuss their ideas on the situation at hand.

"So Matt knows about Xtmat and Chelesax," Kairi stated.

"We can't tell him that they sent us to get him," Naminé cried. "He'll think we're against him as well!"

"But Queen Minnie sent us to get him too!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Matt yelled.

"We can't tell him that…just don't tell him about King Mickey," Naminé pressed.

"But…" Kairi started. She then saw the pleading look upon Naminé's face and realized that there was no point in arguing anymore.

"But think about it!" Roxas yelled. "It all pieces together!"

"No! It doesn't!" Matt replied. "It doesn't make…"

"Who cares if it makes sense or not?!" Kairi yelled.

Matt and Roxas eased back, waiting for Kairi to finish.

"What matters now, is that we have orders from the Queen to bring you back," Naminé said for Kairi.

"What?" Matt asked dumbfounded.

Naminé began to repeat herself but Matt asked, "A _Queen _wants to see _me_?"

A smile spread wide across his face.

"That's awesome!" Matt yelled jumping from his seat sending Allie flying from his lap to Kairi's.

"Glad you think so," Naminé said.

"When do we leave?" Matt asked.

"Now…if you want," Kairi answered.

"Wait! We have to say goodbye to Hayner, Pence, and Olette first!" Roxas said.

"Ok…we'll do that, and then we'll leave."

Matt began to jump up and down yelling, "Thank you!"

He turned to Naminé to kiss her on the cheek as Naminé turned to say, "Your wel…"

Their lips met unexpectedly.

After a few seconds they broke apart and just stared at each other.

"Um…" was all they said in response.

"Let's go find Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Matt," Roxas said quickly.

As they walked through the door Kairi whispered loudly in Naminé's ear, "What was that?!"

Naminé smiled sheepishly and sighed, "An…accident."

Written by Matt


	67. Chapter 66 Aerith's Troubles

This chapter follows Chelsea as her, Sora, and Riku try to help Aerith come to her senses.

Chapter 66

Aerith's Troubles

Sora and Riku stood up as well. They followed Chelsea out the door into the Third District. They turned to the right and walked through the huge wooden door into the Second District.

They walked down a small street lined with tall buildings. At the end of the street, they saw a man in a black cloak. As they approached closer, he disappeared.

Chelsea stopped in her tracks and looked at Sora and Riku. "Did you guys just see that man?" she asked.

"You mean the man in the black cloak? I didn't if you didn't," Sora said.

"Yeah, the man in the black cloak," Chelsea responded.

"He looked familiar," Sora said.

"I could swear I know him from somewhere," Riku agreed.

"Let's keep going," Chelsea said. She began to walk forward followed by Sora and Riku. They reached the end of the street and turned left and continued on up the stairs.

As they were passing the boarded up Potion Shoppe, Riku began to stumble along. Sora stopped in his tracks. He called out, "Chelsea!"

She spun around to see what was wrong. She noticed Riku and ran over to help him. Before she made it to him, he slumped against the side of the building. Chelsea ran the remaining distance and knelt down beside Riku. She threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss. Sora came over and knelt down beside Chelsea.

"What do you suppose happened? I mean he was walking along and just started stumbling and then he slumped against the wall, passed out," Sora explained.

"I don't know, I mean he did look a little ill back at the house," Chelsea said.

"I just figured that was because he was looking back at all the decisions he had made that made his life a mess, "Sora said.

"How did one choice screw up his entire life?" Chelsea asked.

"Opening his heart to darkness cost him a lot. Xehanort's Heartless was able to enter his heart and use him," Sora explained.

"That must have been hard for him," Chelsea said.

Riku groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He glanced between Sora and Chelsea. "Whoa, what a head rush," he said.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Riku answered. He stood up with the help of Chelsea.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure. After we saw that man I became very lightheaded," Riku explained.

"Hmmm…I wonder if that had anything to do with Aerith," Chelsea mused.

"Possibly…" Sora started.

"Anyway, let's go. I'm fine, Aerith needs us more," Riku said. He began walking toward the hotel. Chelsea and Sora quickly scurried after him.

They entered the hotel and walked down the hallway, past Yuffie's room, to Aerith's. Chelsea knocked on the door. They could hear footsteps on the opposite side of the door. The door clicked open to reveal Rexsil.

"Rexsil? What are you doing here?" Chelsea blurted out when she saw him.

"I'm here with my loving girlfriend Aerith," he replied. He stepped out of the way to allow them to enter. As Riku walked past, Rexsil shot him a look of pure hatred.

Aerith's room was furnished with a huge red canopy bed in the corner and a round wooden table across from the bed. The room was painted in different shades of red.

Chelsea spotted Aerith sitting at the table. She walked over to Aerith and placed her hands on her hips.

"Aerith? How are you?" Chelsea asked.

"I'm fine, but you have no right to be in my room!" she shouted.

Rexsil walked over to Aerith and sat down next to her. He said, "Now Aerith, they may have a good reason to be here."

"We do, we want you to come…" Sora began then Riku put his hand over his mouth and violently shook his head.

At that moment, the room went dark and they could hear a man laughing. A minute later the light came back on to reveal the man that Chelsea, Sora, and Riku saw in the alleyway. Chelsea looked around the room and noticed that Rexsil had disappeared.

"Hello Chelsea," the man said eerily.

"Xtmat…what do you want?" she asked.

"Funny you should ask…maybe you should ask you friend Aerith over here," he suggested.

Chelsea looked over at Aerith. She gave Chelsea a look that said, 'don't even try and ask me.'

"What did you do to Rexsil?" Sora piped up.

"Ah…Sora and Riku, good to see you again. As for Rexsil, I did nothing to him," Xtmat said. He stood beside the bed with his arms folded across his chest.

"Aerith, are you okay, is Rexsil's spell broken?" Chelesa asked.

Aerith cocked her head at Chelsea and said, "What are you blathering on about? My boyfriend wouldn't put a spell on me."

"I take it that's a no," Riku whispered to Sora.

"Xtmat, why did you do this to Aerith?" Chelsea demanded.

"She could be of use to us," he replied.

"Let her go! Give her back her memories!" Chelsea shouted.

"So…you have figured out my plan," he said.

"Yes we did, thanks to Sora," Chelsea responded.

"Then, tell me what that plan is," he challenged.

"You delved into Aerith's heart and undid the chains of her heart and created new fake ones and placed them back in her heart," Riku recited.

"You are smarter than I gave you credit for," Xtmat replied.

"Now give Aerith back her memories and her life!" Chelsea shouted.

"No, I have some…ah…unfinished business with her," Xtmat said.

"What kind of unfinished business?" Sora asked.

"Let's just say she will see my way after it," Xtmat replied.

Aerith looked at Xtmat with a hint of fear in her eyes. Chelsea noticed the look on Aerith's face and elbowed Riku. He looked at Chelsea and shook his head indicating that he didn't know what she meant. She cocked her head in Aerith's direction. He got the hint and looked over at Aerith. He saw the slight fear in her eyes. He looked back at Chelsea and nodded.

Sora looked at Riku and Chelsea. He shot them a look that asked, 'why did you guys leave me out of the secret.' Riku cocked his head in Aerith's direction to show Sora what they were talking about.

"So…Aerith, what do you say? Will you come with me?" Xtmat asked her.

"Aerith, No!" Rexsil said.

"Curse you Rexsil," Xtmat said. The lights went dark and Xtmat disappeared. When the lights came back on, Aerith was lying on the floor.

"Aerith!" Chelsea cried as she ran over to Aerith's limp body. Chelsea shook her limp body trying to wake her up.

Rexsil walked over to Chelsea and placed a hand on her shoulder. He said, "Don't worry, she's only fainted. When Xtmat disappeared, she fainted. At this moment she is recovering her old memories."

Chelsea looked up at Rexsil and nodded to show she understood. "Riku…" Chelsea said faintly.

Riku rushed over to her side and helped her up. She graciously fell into his arms. He looked over at Sora who was now murmuring a healing spell over Aerith. He then looked at Rexsil who was gazing intently at Chelsea.

"Chelsea, I have a present for you," Rexsil said. He exited the room and reentered holding a fluffy white puppy. He held it out for Chelsea to take.

"Thank you. I …I don't know why you felt you needed to do this," Chelsea said taking the puppy from Rexsil.

"To show that I really do care about you," he replied.

"Uh-huh and you are hoping that she will fall into your open arms and tell you that she loves you, right?" Riku said sarcastically.

"Well…umm…no," Rexsil said.

"Hey, guys I think she's coming to," Sora called. The three others rushed to Aerith's side.

Aerith sat up and said, "Ooh…Chelsea, Sora, Riku what happened, and who are you?" Aerith asked pointing at Rexsil.

"I'm so glad you are okay!" Chelsea cried.

"Yeah, you had your memories in your heart unchained and became a snob. You said Rexsil here was your boyfriend," Riku explained.

"Rexsil?" Aerith asked. Chelsea nodded and turned to point at Rexsil.

"Where did he go?" she asked. Rexsil had disappeared again.

"He did it again. He was just there," Sora said.

"That's odd…you said I called him my boyfriend?" Aerith questioned.

"Yeah, why?" Riku said.

"My boyfriend is in Twilight Town," Aerith said.

"Really? I love Twilight Town," Riku said.

"Twilight Town?" Chelsea asked.

"It's a huge town that is home to the most beautiful clock tower in the world," Sora explained.

"Wow…Aerith, would you like us to go?" Chelsea asked.

"Please," Aerith replied.

Chelsea, Riku, and Sora nodded. They waved good-bye and left Aerith to her own thoughts. They headed out of the hotel and into the nighttime streets of the Second District.

"The night sky is beautiful," Chelsea observed.

"Yes it is," Riku agreed. He wrapped his arms around Chelsea.

"Come on, it's getting late," Sora said.

They continued on to the Third District and into their house. Riku looked at Chelsea and she nodded.

"Sora, would you mind sleeping on the couch tonight? My back hurts and could use a good nights rest," Chelsea asked.

"Of course go ahead, but if I hear any noise from either of you…" Sora began.

"Oh gross Sora. What do you think we are going to do?" Riku said.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. Riku and Chelsea went into the bedroom. Sora was left in the living room alone. Chelsea's puppy came over to him and lay down by his feet.

"_I really miss Kairi…" _Sora thought to himself. He lied down on the couch and fell asleep with thoughts of the upcoming days running through his head.

Written by Chelsea


	68. Chapter 67 Mind Connection

This chapter finds Sora and Kairi mind connecting as they sleep

Chapter 67

Mind Connection

"Accident!?" Kairi questioned. She gave Kairi a little nudge in the shoulder as she added, "You planned that!"

Naminé shook her head lightly, not changing her gaze form the closed door from which Matt and Roxas exited.

"I…I…" Naminé said.

Kairi bit her lip to refrain from saying anything else. She only laughed.

"What was it like?" Naminé asked after several moments of silence. Her focus remained on the closed door.

"What was 'what' like?" Kairi questioned.

"Your first kiss…with Sora," Naminé explained.

Kairi was taken aback by these words. For the first time in a long time, she was a ware of just how much she missed Sora.

"Sora…" Kairi whined. A tear slid down the edge of her cheekbone as she thought of him.

"What was that?" Naminé questioned turning her head to face her.

"Nothing!" Kairi said holding back the tears. "Nothing at all."

"How was it then?" Naminé repeated. "Your first kiss."

"It was amazing," Kairi answered immediately. "It felt as if we were the only two left in the world. My heart felt as if had wings! And…"

At that moment the door from the side entrance opened and Roxas and Matt walked out, accompanied by Dewey.

"Dewey says there's a huge storm coming," Roxas said.

"It might, um, interfere with our, um, traveling so um…" Matt said trying to avoid eye contact with Naminé. His eyes darted everywhere else across the room.

"Huey, Louie, and I have discussed it and decided that we'll sleep in Huey's room, Matt and Roxas will sleep in Louie's room, and you two ladies will sleep in my room," Dewey said energetically.

"Thank you so much!" Naminé said.

"You don't have to do that," Kairi said.

"It's not a problem," Dewey retorted waving his hand in the air. "Do you know how hard it is to find a hotel room around this time? And the prices are outrageous!" he added walking behind the counter.

He rummaged through the contents of a drawer before he withdrew a 'Closed for Repairs' sign.

Matt scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably saying, "Sorry about that."

Dewey closed the entrance doors and placed the sign on the window, "It's ok…we needed a vacation."

The door leading to their house swung open yet again. Louie walked out this time.

"Dinner's ready!" he yelled cheerfully.

"Now the door to your left is the bathroom," Huey pointed out. He knocked on the door that had a small brass knob, attached to a wooden brown door.

"That's helpful…" Roxas whispered to Matt.

Matt said nothing in response. He held Allie, who was fast asleep, in his arms.

Huey continued down the narrow hallway and knocked on a green door with a large wooden carving scratched on it that read, Louie.

At once the door opened and Louie welcomed them in.

"Matt! Roxas! Just cleaning up!" he yelled. "Enjoy!" he added running to the rear of the hallway.

Matt and Roxas walked inside.

Roxas threw off his shirt and collapsed onto the small bed face down.

"Looks like we're sleeping on the floor, Allie," Matt said. "Good night, guys."

"Come on girls! Dewey's room is right here," Huey yelled.

They walked towards the bright blue door that had Dewey etched onto it.

Before they even knocked Dewey opened the door.

"There you are! I put out a second bed too!" Dewey said.

"Thank you, Dewey…Huey," Naminé said giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

"If you need anything," Huey started. "We'll be right down the hall in my room."

"Through the red door!" Louie added.

"Thanks guys…for everything," Kairi thanked.

"Goodnight!" they all said.

Kairi closed the door and turned to her room. Naminé was already curled up comfortably underneath her plaid covers.

Kairi laughed silently as she walked over to her own bed.

She threw down the covers and sat on the comforter.

She untied the laces of her shoes and placed them neatly by her bedside.

Naminé made light noises in her sleep behind Kairi. Kairi turned her attention to Naminé. She smiled lightly as she gazed down upon her companion.

"Matt…" Naminé faintly whispered in her sleep.

Kairi fell to her pillow and faced the opposite direction. As the tear fell onto her silk sheets, she whispered, "Sora."

"Kairi," Sora said again.

Kairi sat bolt right up. She was no longer in Dewey's room. In fact she was in what seemed to be nothing.

She turned her head and saw nothing but white background. The only thing that was colored, besides her, was the figure of Sora.

They stood apart for a few moments. They each had a look of confusion upon their faces, but slowly they evolved into wide smiles spread from cheek to cheek. Then, without speaking, they ran to each other, arms spread wide to embrace each other.

Kairi jumped in his arms but fell right through him, as if he was a ghost, and fell to the ground.

She immediately began to cry as Sora turned around to face her. He edged his way to her and knelt down beside her.

"At least we know this isn't a dream," Sora said trying to make things better. "We're mind connecting. In a dream we would be able to touch each other."

"But I want to touch you!" Kairi cried turning her head, making her hair fly wildly. "I miss you…I _want_ to touch you!"

Sora motioned to wipe the tear from her cheek, but his hand phased through her.

"I miss you too," Sora stated. They gazed into each others eyes for only a few seconds, but nothing seemed to come across their minds.

"So…did you find him?" Sora asked after several moments of silence.

With a loud sniff, Kairi wiped her eyes and answered, "Yeah…his name's Matt. He's real nice."

She fiddled with her thumbs as she asked, "Did you find her?"

"Yeah…" Sora responded. "Her name's Chelsea. She's pretty cool for a girl."

"Hey!" Kairi yelled. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing…"

"Naminé really likes him…Matt. I mean she _really_ likes him."

"No way! Riku is too! I mean…likes Chelsea."

They then evolved into conversation about each of their adventures while they were apart.

They laughed, cried, and joked until suddenly they woke up.

Kairi sat up straight and looked down at Naminé. She thought it would be best not to tell anyone about what happened.

She'd save that for another time.

Written by Matt.


	69. Chapter 68 Rikus Twilight Fighting Tech

This chapter follows Chelsea as Riku teaches her some of his special fighting techniques.

Chapter 68

Riku's Twilight Fighting Techniques

Riku and Chelsea walked into the bedroom with grins on each of their faces. Chelsea teasingly tucked her thumb into the edge of her shorts.

"Did you lie to Sora so that you could share a huge bed with me?" Riku asked.

Chelsea grinned at Riku and giggled. "What do you think?" she asked.

"You are such a tease," Riku said.

"Why?"

"You are teasing me," Riku pointed out. He pointed to Chelsea's thumb tucked into her shorts.

"I am doing no such thing," she protested.

"Even if you aren't, it's working," Riku said. He pulled Chelsea in to a deep passionate kiss.

When they broke apart, Chelsea said, "Whoa, that's a kiss."

"Come on we need to get some sleep, I have a special surprise for you in the morning," Riku said. He walked the rest of the way to the bed. He pulled off his tank top to reveal nicely defined wash board abs.

At this, Chelsea let out a small gasp. She knew that she wanted to sleep in her underwear because it had become really humid out, but she was afraid or more accurately embarrassed for Riku to see her that way. She decided against it. She walked over to the other side of the bed and pulled down the sheets and climbed into the bed.

Riku watched her get in the bed, then he climbed in. "Sweet dreams, see you in the morning," Riku said to her. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

"See you in the morning," Chelsea replied. She rolled over onto her side and fell asleep immediately.

Riku tossed and turned, but finally fell asleep. Right before he fell asleep, he heard Sora talking in his sleep.

The next morning, Chelsea awoke to Riku gently shaking her. She rolled over to face him. She grinned at him and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning sleepyhead," he said. She noticed that he was already dressed. He held out a small apple for her to take.

She accepted it graciously and said, "Thanks. So what time is it?"

"Already past nine," he replied.

"Is Sora awake yet?" she asked. She sat up and ran her hands through her hair.

"No, I just checked and he was sound asleep," Riku replied.

Chelsea shrugged and got out of bed. She reached over to the bedside stand and grabbed her brush and make-up out of her bag. She entered the bathroom and began brushing her hair. She carefully applied black eyeliner and green eye shadow. She emerged from the bathroom looking refreshed. "How do I look?" she asked.

"Beautiful, like always," he replied.

"Thanks," She replied.

"So…are you ready for your surprise?" Riku asked.

"Yes!" Chelsea shouted.

"Then follow me," he said. He began walking towards the living room. Chelsea was following close behind.

They tip-toed to the door so they wouldn't wake Sora up; as they passed Sora, he was murmuring "Kairi…Kairi." As they passed, Chelsea's puppy got up and trotted along behind them.

They exited the house and turned into the Second District. "Riku, where are we going?" Chelsea asked.

"You'll see," he said with a grin.

They continued on into the Second District. They walked side by side into the large opening under the hotel. Riku took her hand in his and led her to the left. They approached the small alleyway. Riku led Chelsea down it. She found herself in the same spot where Leon had taught her how to fight.

"What are we doing here?" Chelsea asked.

"I'm going to teach you," he replied.

"Teach me? Teach me what?" she asked.

"New abilities, but not just any abilities; I am going to teach you some of my special twilight techniques," he answered.

Chelsea looked at him with a look of shock on her face. Her puppy pawed at her leg. She looked down at her. She bent over and scooped her up in her arms.

"I never gave you a name did I? I got busy with other things. Riku, do you have any suggestions?" she said.

"Hmm…how about Scruffy…or Winnie?" he suggested.

"I like Winnie. That's a cute name," Chelsea decided.

"Winnie it is," Riku agreed. As if satisfied, the puppy trotted over to the wall and lay down. "Now back to business, I am going to teach you some very powerful techniques. I hope that by doing so they will aid us in our upcoming battle," he re-stated.

Chelsea nodded her head to show she understood. She couldn't help but notice that Riku kept shifting his weight between his two feet. She wondered if he was nervous. "What techniques will you be teaching me?" She asked.

"The first is called Strike Raid," he answered.

"Okay…what does it do?" she asked.

"It allows you to throw your Keyblade and it will become like a boomerang. It will keep coming back to you," he explained.

"That's awesome!" she shouted.

"All you have to do is concentrate on your Keyblade and think the words 'Strike Raid'. Then you just throw it," he instructed.

Chelsea closed her eyes and willed her Starkeeper to appear. Once she had that in hand, she concentrated, but quickly opened her eyes. "What am I aiming at?" she asked.

"Oh, right," Riku said. He scanned the alley for something she could use as a target. He spotted a box in the far corner of the alley. "How about that?" he suggested as he pointed to the box.

"That's good," she agreed. She walked over to the box and tried to pull it out of the corner. She found that it wouldn't budge. Riku came over and helped her drag it out far enough that she could use it as a target.

Riku stood back as Chelsea closed her eyes and concentrated. "_Strike Raid_," she thought and threw her Starkeeper at the box. It smashed the box and came back to Chelsea, just like a boomerang.

"That was great," Riku commended her.

"Thanks, what's next?" she asked.

"Twilight aura."

"Sounds powerful.

"Very. It unleashes a barrage of twilight energy from the tip of your Keyblade. To increase the power, you can use both Keyblades."

"Okay…so what do I do?"

"Hold your Keyblade with both hands and allow the twilight energy to fill you up. Then say, 'Twilight aura.'"

"Sounds easy. I'll aim at that box," Chelsea said pointing to a wooden crate against the wall. She placed both hands on her Starkeeper and allowed the Twilight energy to fill her up. She shouted, "Twilight aura!" A bunch of blue and purple energy balls sprang out of the tip of the Keyblade and flew at the box.

"That was really good," Riku complimented her.

Chelsea looked over at Riku with a huge grin on her face. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, it took me a while to be able to hit my target. You truly are a Lightbearer," Riku replied.

"I guess so. You know, it's funny in the past few days I went from being nobody to being a heroin that can fight and use magic. I always thought that I was nobody, an outcast. Now look at me, I am a Keyblade bearer with a great boyfriend," Chelsea said.

"Come on, let's head back and there you can tell me the whole story, okay?" Riku suggested.

Chelsea nodded in agreement. "Come on Winnie," she said whistling for her puppy. She came bounding toward Chelsea and jumped into her arms.

Riku took the lead and led Chelsea back into the Second District. They began the short trek back to their base. When they reached the street leading to the door that led to the Third District, Riku suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Chelsea asked. She walked up and stood next to Riku. Winnie looked up at Riku too.

"Look," Riku said. He pointed straight ahead to the door. Chelsea looked where he was pointing.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"I think its Rexsil," Riku replied.

"No way. Rexsil's hair isn't purple," Chelsea argued.

"But look at the eyes; they are exactly like his," Riku pointed out.

Chelsea squinted to look at the man's eyes. They were the exact colors that Rexsil's were. She ran toward the man.

"Wait!" Riku yelled taking off after Chelsea.

Chelsea skidded to a halt in front of the man. "Rexsil?" she asked.

The man nodded. "I dyed my hair purple. Nice, huh?" he said.

"Umm…yeah," Chelsea agreed.

"Rexsil, what do you want?" Riku asked.

"Chelsea, please give me a second chance. Come with me rather that this loser," Rexsil said. He jabbed a finger in Riku's direction.

"For the final time, no. I am going with Riku and Sora," Chelsea said.

"Fine, but you will regret that decision,' Rexsil said. He stalked off into the Second District.

"Thanks for that," Riku said to Chelsea.

"Anytime. Come on let's go see if Sora is awake yet," she said. She pushed open the door and they entered the Third District. They walked the short distance back to the base and entered.

Winnie walked over to the couch and hopped up on Sora's still sleeping body. She began licking his face. Sora opened his eyes to find Chelsea and Riku watching him.

"What?" Sora asked.

"You know that it's one in the afternoon," Riku said.

"No way!" Sora shouted. He quickly sat up.

"Yeah, you were talking in your sleep a lot," Chelsea added.

"What were you dreaming about?" Riku asked.

"Kairi," Sora said sadly.

Written by Chelsea.


	70. Chapter 69 Love Redirected

This chapter follows Matt as we learn about his infatuation with Namine.

Chapter 69

Love Redirected

Kairi had trouble getting back to sleep afterwards. She twisted uncomfortably in her bed as she continued to try to fall asleep.

She also kept thinking about Sora, trying to reconnect with him.

It was hopeless though. Sora was either awake or not thinking of her anymore.

With a sigh of disappointment she finally fell back into a dead sleep.

"Hello, Naminé," Matt said in a deep voice.

"Hi cutie," she said in return.

"You know…I always thought you were cute!" Matt said taking her hand and kissing it.

She then took his own hand and folded them all back into his palm except his thumb. She then placed his thumb between her teeth and bit it lightly as she replied, "I knew that."

"Oh! Did you?" Matt said jokingly pushing her lightly on the shoulder.

"As a matter of fact, I did," she replied pushing him lightly across the shoulder.

"You're going to have to prove it," Matt said.

"It'll be my pleasure," Naminé replied walking towards him. She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him forward to meet their lips.

They pulled apart after a few seconds looking annoyed.

"Hi Roxas," Matt said.

Roxas looked on from a distance looking both shocked and crestfallen.

"Why are you so shocked about this?" Naminé asked.

"Did you really think she would love a dweeb like you when she could love me?" Matt asked.

Roxas stood still with his jaw dropped.

"Sorry, but my love for you has been redirected," Naminé said. She pulled Matt into another deep, passionate kiss.

"No!" Roxas yelled sitting up straight in his bed, waking up from his nightmare.

He breathed rapidly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He gazed down at matt. He was sprawled out across the floor as he drooled slightly in his sleep.

Roxas sighed and went back to sleep.

"Wake up you lazy bums! Breakfast's waiting on you two!" Kairi yelled as she opened up the door.

Matt sat up strikingly fast and replied with one eye still closed, "I'm up! I'm up…in two minutes…" he added falling back to the ground.

Kairi then jumped on top o Roxas in an attempt to wake him up

"Ger-off me!" Roxas yelled.

"Fine!" Kairi replied. "But Huey, Dewey, and Louie are not going to cook a separate breakfast just for you!" she added as she walked out of the door.

Before she walked completely out she turned around and yelled, "Up Matt!"

Matt reacted so quickly when he sat up he hit his head off the bedside table.

Matt yelped in pain while Roxas threw back the covers and side-stepped out of bed. He folded the covers back across the bed as Matt massaged the new bump upon his forehead.

Roxas pulled his shirt back over his head as Matt dressed into his clothes.

"Morning," Matt yawned before walking out the door as Allie walked out behind him.

"Morning," Roxas replied unenthusiastically.

He followed Matt out of the room and into the hallway. Suddenly the bathroom door swung open and hit Matt squarely in the face. Allie pranced down the hall as if nothing happened.

Naminé let out a scream of panic.

"Oh my gosh!? Are you ok?!" she screamed trying to force Matt's hands out of the way to get a good look at his nose.

Tears streamed from Matt's eyes. He blinked in a desperate attempt to rid the pain.

"Aaah…I'm ok…" Matt said.

"Is it broken?" Roxas asked.

Naminé screamed at the thought.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know anybody would be behind the door when I opened it. I…I didn't mean to! Honest!" she screamed in a panic. Her arms flew rapidly in an uncontrolled frenzy.

Matt took a hold of one of her hands, still holding on his nose with the other and said, "Naminé, relax. It'll heal."

She ceased at once.

"Even when things go horribly wrong…you still find a way to make me feel better. You probably the sweetest guy I've ever met."

They looked at each other romantically before they drew back their hands in an embarrassing way followed by an immediate blush.

"Off to breakfast then," Matt said quickly to change the topic.

"Yeah! Of course!" she replied.

As they walked down Naminé added, "It doesn't even seem that noticeable."

Roxas stood still watching the two walk down the hallway.

A look of devastation spread across his face as his mouth hung slightly open.

"Sweetest guy she's _ever_ met," Roxas said before walking down the hallway.

He wiped the tear from his cheek before walking down.

He came across the dining room after walking down the stairs that Matt and he had ate at before.

On one side of the table, Huey, Dewey, and Louie helped themselves to their fill. On the other side sat Kairi, Matt, and Naminé eating their share as well.

A huge stack of pancakes were placed in the center. Plates of eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits lay beside it.

Allie was eating out of her bowl that Matt had placed on the floor.

"We went a little over the edge with the food," Huey said.

"We haven't had company for a long time," Dewey chimed in.

"We'd thought we'd give you all a little pick-me-up before you go," Louie added.

"Why not?" all three asked together.

"No complaints here," Roxas replied as he sat in the open chair next to Naminé.

Kairi, Naminé, and Matt all made mumbling noises as to show they agreed with Roxas.

Matt and Naminé both reached for the maple syrup and they grabbed each other's hands instead.

They looked into each others eyes for a few seconds. They swallowed the food they had in their mouths before giving each other sheepish smiles.

Roxas cleared his throat loudly then asked, "Naminé, will you pass the syrup?"

"Sure," she replied, but made no motion whatsoever towards the maple syrup.

She continued to smile at Matt without loosening her grip on his hand.

"Naminé!" Roxas said.

She shook herself out of her gaze and threw the maple syrup at Roxas.

"Thanks," Roxas said glumly as he poured syrup over his pancakes.

"Can I have the syrup when you're done, Roxas?" Matt asked.

Naminé stole the syrup from Roxas before he was even done and handed it over to Matt.

"Thanks," Matt said.

"Anytime," she replied.

They returned to breakfast without another word. Roxas continued his meal, but had lost most of his appetite; he left two and a half pancakes on his plate.

After breakfast Huey, Dewey, and Louie packed up the rest of the food.

"For your journey," they said handing over the leftovers.

"Thank you," Matt said as Naminé and Kairi gave each of them a hug, Allie trotting behind him.

"Bye!" the triplets exclaimed as the teenagers walked out their door for a final time.

Written by Matt.


	71. Chapter 70 Sora's Magic Upgrades

This chapter follows Chelsea as she learns more magic.

Chapter 70

Sora's Magic Upgrades

"You did say Kairi a lot," Chelsea said.

"Yeah, it was the strangest dream ever. I actually talked to Kairi. She told me that she and Namine found the male Lightbearer. She also explained that Namine has been pretty harsh toward Roxas," Sora explained.

"So they are doing well?" Riku asked.

"It would seem so," Sora replied.

"But you said that it was just a dream. How can you be sure that all that is really true?" Chelsea asked. She sat down on the table.

"It's complicated…if I think about wanting to talk to Kairi and at the same time she is thinking about talking to me, we actually can. It's because our hearts are connected," Sora explained.

"That's pretty sweet," Chelsea acknowledged.

"While you were sleeping, I taught Chelsea Strike Raid and Twilight Aura," Riku said. He walked over and stood behind Chelsea.

"And?" Sora pressed.

"She mastered them," Riku said proudly.

"That's good news. Now it's my turn," Sora said. He stood up and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"What do you mean? I have more to learn?" Chelsea complained.

"I am going to teach you how to use summon magic," Sora said.

"Where am I going to learn this?" she asked.

"Right here. We just need to push the furniture out of the way," Sora answered.

Riku and Chelsea nodded their agreement and began to move the furniture. Chelsea pushed the table she had been sitting on to the wall while Sora and Riku moved the couch.

"Okay…now what?" Chelsea asked.

"Summon your Keyblade," Sora instructed. He summoned his Oathkeeper. Chelsea did the same and her Starkeeper appeared. "Now, what this is designed to do is allow you to summon allies to help you in battle. I am going to teach you how to summon Peter Pan, Simba, and Mushu. Are you with me so far?" Sora continued.

"I think so," Chelsea replied.

"Good, now to summon Peter Pan you concentrate and place you Keyblade tip to the ground and say, 'Peter Pan, I need your help, come to my aid,'" Sora instructed.

"Good luck," Riku said. He had moved over to the doorway leading to the bedroom.

Chelsea nodded and placed her Keyblade like Sora had told her to. She concentrated and then spoke the incantation clearly, "Peter Pan, I need your help, come to my aid." There was a bright flash and then a puff of smoke. When the smoke dispersed, flying before them was a young red headed boy in green. It had worked Peter Pan was flying before the group.

"What do you need?" Peter Pan asked.

"Sorry…I was just practicing," Chelsea apologized.

As suddenly as he appeared, Peter Pan was gone again. Chelsea looked over at Sora and Riku. Riku had a look of happiness on his face while Sora wore a look of surprise.

"That was good. Now, when you summon someone for help, they will only be able to stay for a short amount of time. They each have special attacks and abilities. You command them what to attack and they will do it," Sora explained.

"Man, you are talking like an instruction manual," Riku said to Sora.

Chelsea covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Once she calmed down she asked, "Do I summon the others the same way?"

"Almost, with Simba you have to place your Keyblade like with the other one and then raise it above your head. Then you say the same thing except replace the words 'Peter Pan' with 'Simba'. For Mushu, start the same and then bring your Keyblade up to eye level and turn it like you are unlocking a door. Say the same, but with Mushu in there," Sora instructed.

Chelsea nodded to show that she understood. "I'll give it a try," she said. She placed her Starkeeper tip down then raised it over her head. She spoke the incantation, "Simba, I need your help, come to my aid." There was a loud crashing noise and then the lion Simba stood in the room.

"Now, you can either wait for the short time to expire and he will disappear, or you can dismiss him by saying 'that's good.' It's your choice," Sora added.

"That's good," Chelsea said. Simba vanished.

"Now try Mushu," Riku said.

Chelsea nodded and placed the Starkeeper's tip to the ground. She raised it to eye level and turned it like opening a lock. She said, "Mushu, I need your help, come to my aid." There was a puff of smoke and the tiny dragon Mushu was there.

"This time let time run out," Sora said.

"Okay," Chelsea agreed.

"Give it something to attack," Riku said. He tossed an empty box in the air.

Chelsea quickly said, "Mushu attack that box." Mushu jumped and let out a small stream of fire breath. He landed back on the ground. The remnants of the smoldering box gently floated to the floor.

"Good reflexes and perfect timing," Sora complimented.

"Thanks," Chelsea replied.

As time ran out, Mushu jumped into the air and with a second puff of smoke, he was gone. Sora and Riku nodded their heads in approval.

"We should move the furniture back," Riku suggested. He and Sora moved the couch back while Chelsea moved the table. Chelsea sat down on the table followed by Riku and Sora on the couch.

"That is all we have to teach you. I'm sure that as you go along, you will discover more abilities," Sora said.

"And it is almost guaranteed that the Queen will have a lesson or two for you," Riku added.

"Who?" Chelsea asked.

"Queen Minnie. When our ship is done, we are taking you to Disney Castle so that you can meet the Queen and the male Lightbearer. Then the power of two will be one," Sora explained.

"What do you mean the power of two will be one?" Chelsea questioned.

"When the two Lightbearers are together, they become very powerful," Riku explained.

"But…what does that mean?" Chelsea asked still confused.

"Never mind for now; we will let the Queen explain it to both of you," Sora said.

As he finished the sentence, there was a knock upon the door. It opened slowly to reveal Cid.

"Hey Cid, what brings you here?" Riku asked.

Written by Chelsea.


	72. Chapter 71 Final Goodbyes

This chapter follows Matt as he says his good-byes to the Backlot Gang.

Chapter 71

Final Goodbyes

"I'm gonna miss those guys," Naminé said as she scuffed her feet across the ground as she walked.

"Me too," Kairi replied.

"Same here…" Matt added.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed.

"There's a lot of things I'm gonna miss," Matt started running ahead of the group Allie nipping at his heels.

"Huey, Dewey, and Louie of course, my job, the city itself, the guys…" Matt droned off. "The guys!"

He raised his hands and placed them on his head.

"Hayner! Pence! Olette! We can't leave without saying goodbye! And Lady Lucille! I've got to…" Matt drone off again.

"_Forgot that's not really who she is,"_ he thought.

"Yeah! I don't want them to be mad at me again," Roxas agreed.

"Okay then, we'll say goodbye to Hayner, Pence, and Olette and then we're off to Disney Castle," Naminé said.

"Don't forget Naminé, we have to go to Traverse Town first. We still have to fix the ship!" Kairi corrected her.

"Oh yeah! Completely forgot!"

Kairi then whispered so low that only Naminé could hear, "Maybe we can even catch up with the guys."

Matt led the way to the Backlot, playing with Allie along the way. He'd run around in circles as Allie chased him. He'd fall to the ground and let her climb on his chest.

Naminé smiled and laughed as she watched.

"_Cute,_" she thought.

Roxas and Kairi walked by her laughing at Matt and Allie as well.

It seemed that it was only a few minutes before they arrived at the Backlot.

Matt picked up Allie and cradled her in his arms. He pushed aside the rug curtaining over the entrance.

"Hayner! Pence! Olette!" he yelled walking in.

"Anybody here?!" Naminé yelled placing the leftover food on the couch.

"Yoo-hoo!" Kairi yelled.

They all stood in the center of the space and folded their arms high across their chests.

"Hmph! Can you believe that? They're not here!" Roxas pointed out.

"I never would have guessed," Matt joked causing Naminé to produce a loud snorting noise, which was supposed to be a laugh.

Everybody gazed at her awkwardly, before Matt could say, "Glad you think I'm funny Naminé," which was intended to calm her down.

"Thanks," she said under her breath while staring at Matt.

"Well, better go find them," Roxas inputted stepping back outside followed by the others.

"Where do you think they are?" Kairi asked Matt.

"I don't know," he replied. "But…"

"Hey kid!" yelled a gruff voice.

The group turned to see Cloud and Tifa standing a few feet from them.

"Heard you're off to save the world," Tifa said sarcastically.

"So what if we are?" Matt replied.

Tifa bit her tongue to refrain from arguing.

"Those duck kids told us everything," Tifa said. "It just seemed right to see you guys off."

Matt and Roxas both shouted in disbelief, "What?!"

"Oh…don't' make me say it again," Tifa whined. "I don't do nice."

Finally Cloud broke his silence and said, "Good luck…Lightbearer."

And with a quick bow, he turned and began walking back down the alley, closely followed by Tifa.

"That was," Naminé started.

"Awkward," Kairi finished.

"Guys! Hey guys!" yelled a voice from the opposite corner of the alley. "Hayner! Olette! The guys are here!" Pence added.

"Who?" Hayner questioned.

"Who else silly?" Olette retorted. "It's got to be Matt, Roxas, Kairi, and Naminé!"

They finally came into view as they ran towards their companions.

At once Allie jumped from Matt's arms and began to circle around Olette.

"Hi Allie!" she screamed kneeling down to pet her.

"Are you guys ok?" Pence asked.

"Why?" Kairi questioned.

"Well the last time we saw you, you guys were fighting off those black things!" Hayner explained.

"Oh!" Naminé gasped. "Well…we got out alive, obviously."

"We could guess that," Pence joked.

"We got rid of them after a while," Matt said.

"That's good," Olette replied handing Allie over to him.

Matt took Allie from her and began to scratch her behind her ears.

"What's wrong?" Olette asked after a few minutes of silence.

The four scuffed their feet thinking to themselves how to tell the Backlot Gang.

"You can tell us," Hayner said.

"Can't you?" Pence asked nervously.

"We have to leave again," Matt blurted out before he could stop himself.

Looks of shock came across their faces. They tried to say words, but only air came out.

"We're sorry, but we have to," Roxas added.

"You don't have to…you want to," Hayner accused.

"What are you talking about?!" Kairi screamed. "Do you think they like leaving their friends? Knowing that there's a possible chance of never coming back?!"

Naminé looked appalled as she said, "Kairi! Don't say that!"

"Well, I'm going to!" Kairi insisted. "Do you think it's fun that we hardly ever get to see our friends?! That we spend more time in our Gummi Ship than we do at our own homes?! Do you know how long its been since I've seen my parents?!"

Kairi stood in one place breathing heavenly and looking furious.

Suddenly Olette launched herself and took a hold of Matt and Roxas with each arm.

"Good luck…" she whispered in their ears.

She broke off from them and immediately began to wipe the flood of tears pouring down her face.

"Sorry guys," Hayner said stretching out a hand for Matt and Roxas.

"It's ok," they replied shaking his hands.

As Pence said goodbye to Matt and Roxas, Olette, Kairi, and Naminé all embraced in a tight hug.

"Be safe…" Olette whimpered.

After Hayner and Pence said their goodbyes to Kairi and Naminé, everybody joined in a group hug. Then, they turned and walked their opposite ways.

"Buckle up, everyone," Kairi said in a sullen tone.

No one spoke. The only sound was the clinking of the seat belts.

Naminé and Kairi started the liftoff process silently to themselves.

The ship rose off the ground slowly.

Matt gazed through the windows as the town got smaller and smaller.

"Bye Twilight Town," he said as he laid his head against his seat and fell asleep.

Written by Matt.


	73. Chapter 72 Ready for Takeoff

This chapter follows Chelsea as she gets ready to leave Traverse Town.

Chapter 72

Ready for Takeoff

"I came to tell ya your ship is done. You can pick it up anytime. I even did some upgrade work for ya," Cid said.

"Thanks a lot Cid," Sora replied.

"Anytime, see ya around," Cid said. He closed the door behind him as he left.

Sora and Riku looked at Chelsea and then at each other. Sora looked back at Chelsea and asked, "So Chelsea, are you ready to leave this place behind and go meet the Queen and the male Lightbearer?"

"Yeah, I can't wait," she replied.

"It's gonna be a long trip, we need to make sure that we have enough supplies," Riku added.

"I want to say good-bye to Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie too," Chelsea added.

"Okay, then we need to go to the Accessory Shop and stock up on extra Gummi Blocks and potions and items," Sora said.

"I guess we cleaned this place up for nothing, huh?" Riku said with a small laugh.

"No, we needed to clean it so that we could live here. Plus, if we hadn't cleaned, we never would have kissed," Chelsea replied.

"That's true," Riku mused.

"Come on you two, we need to gather up all our stuff so we can get going," Sora said.

"Okay, Winnie, come here!" Chelsea called. Winnie came running to her from the bedroom. "Good girl."

"You should buy a puppy carrier for her," Sora suggested.

"That's a great idea," Chelsea agreed.

Riku and Chelsea walked into the bedroom to collect their things. Winnie trotted along behind them. Chelsea walked over to the bedside table and grabbed her backpack. Meanwhile, Riku had grabbed his dark blue backpack and was shoving his extra clothes into it. Chelsea went into the bathroom and grabbed her brush and make-up off the vanity. Sora entered the bedroom; his red backpack slung over one shoulder. Chelsea emerged from the bathroom with her blue backpack over her shoulder.

Winnie jumped out of Riku's lap and ran over and jumped into Chelsea's arms. "So much for that, huh?" Chelsea asked Riku who was still sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, you ready?" he asked.

"I think so. What about you two?" she replied.

"I am, I can't wait to see Kairi again," Sora said excitedly. Riku looked at Chelsea and rolled his eyes. Chelsea put a hand over her mouth to suppress a laugh.

After composing herself Chelsea asked, "How long will it take us to reach our destination?"

"Provided we don't crash again, about a day, maybe two," Riku answered.

"Hey, we only crashed because you broke off the steering wheel," Sora pointed out.

"Only because you were being selfish and wouldn't let me be pilot," Riku retorted.

"Okay that's enough. All that is in the past; can we just forget it and go see Yuffie, Leon, and Aerith?" Chelsea asked interrupting the fighting boys.

"I guess so…" Sora and Riku agreed in unison.

"Good, now let's go," Chelsea agreed.

Sora and Riku nodded. They followed Chelsea out of their base and into the Third District. They turned and walked through the large wooden door into the Second District. They walked the familiar path back to the hotel.

They entered the hotel and walked down the hall to Yuffie's room. Chelsea knocked on the door. Through the door they could hear muffled footsteps. The door opened to reveal Yuffie standing there.

"Hey Chelsea, and Sora and Riku. What brings you guys here?" Yuffie asked. She moved aside to allow her guest to enter.

"Actually, we just came to say good-bye," Chelsea answered. She looked over at the small table to see Leon and Aerith. They all looked surprised at her words.

"Will you be back?" Aerith asked.

"Probably not," Chelsea replied.

"Well…good luck with whatever it is you are doing," Leon said.

Chelsea, Sora, and Riku nodded their heads solemnly. They looked from Yuffie to Leon to Aerith. Chelsea wished that she would be able to see them again.

"Chelsea, maybe it's time you explained everything to them," Sora piped up.

Chelsea nodded and said, "I'm the female Lightbearer and we are going on a mission to defeat Xtmat and Chelesax."

"No way…that's awesome!" Aerith said.

"I knew that you were someone special. Remember, I started to say it the day we met?" Yuffie said.

"Yeah and thanks…sorry for never telling you guys before," Chelsea apologized.

"No worries just go and do your best," Leon said.

Chelsea nodded her head in agreement then said, "We have to go now."

"Bye!" Aerith called.

"See ya," Yuffie said.

"Good luck," Leon said.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea waved good-bye and they left. They exited the hotel and continued from the Second District into the First District.

The three friends continued through the First District. They made their way through the throng of shoppers. They reached the Accessory Shop and entered the small shop.

The moogle came over to Chelsea and asked, "What can I get you?"

"We need a hundred extra Gummi Blocks, some potions, hi-potions, ethers, and a tent," Sora replied.

The moogle flew away to retrieve their items. Meanwhile, Chelsea left Sora and Riku at the counter and began browsing the items.

She picked up an intricately carved ring. The tag told her that it increased the power of defensive spells. The price was only 50 Munny. She kept it to buy and began looking around again.

She spotted an arm band. It was made for boys by the size of it. She read the tag and learned that it increased the strength of twilight attacks. She decided to buy it for Riku.

A third item caught her eye. It was a leg band. The tag said that it intensified the power of Light. Since she knew that Sora's heart was full of Light, she decided to get it for him.

She meandered back over to the counter to show Riku and Sora what she found.

"What have you got there?" Sora asked.

"I have a ring that boosts defensive spells for me, an arm band that increases twilight attacks for Riku, and a leg band that intensifies Light power for you," Chelsea replied.

"Good choices," Riku said. He took the black arm band from Chelsea and slipped it on. "It gave me a rush of power."

Sora took the white leg band and fastened it around his ankle. "Whoa, I feel a new strength," he said.

Chelsea placed the blue ring on her right ring finger. "I feel…a power bubbling inside of me," she said.

The moogle returned from the back of the store with a set of Gummi Blocks, the potions in small bottles, and the rest of their supplies. They each added their new accessory to the pile. As the moogle rang the items up, Chelsea picked up one of the potion vials. Inside was an oscillating green liquid. She sat it back down on the counter. She had a look of revulsion on her face.

"It looks nasty, but it really doesn't taste that bad," Sora explained when he caught the look on Chelsea's face.

She turned to face Sora and asked, "You _drink _it?"

"Yes, it will cure you of minor injuries. The hi-potions"- Sora said indicating the vial with blue liquid "-cure major injuries. They are a sort of substitute of your healing magic."

"It's pretty amazing how it works," Riku agreed.

"I just hope I won't need any," Chelsea said still eyeing the vials with disgust.

"That comes to a hundred Munny total," the moogle said interrupting the trio.

"Shouldn't it be more?" Chelsea asked.

"I gave you a discount. I know that you are headed for a big battle," the moogle explained.

"Thanks," Chelsea said. The three friends gathered up their items and exited the shop. Winnie began to whine as they exited the store.

"You forgot to buy a carrier for her," Sora said. He picked Winnie up and began scratching behind her ears.

"I'll go get one," Chelsea said. She went back into the shop and told the moogle what she needed. It returned and gave it to Chelsea for free. Chelsea exited the shop and took Winnie from Sora. She put Winnie into the carrier and they set off down the steps to Cid's workshop.

They entered Cid's shop to find him at his desk working on a blueprint. He looked up when they entered and asked, "Ya ready for takeoff?"

"Yeah," Riku agreed.

"Follow me," Cid said. He led the trio out the back door to an open area. Sitting there was a big orange and white ship.

"It looks as good as new," Sora said.

"Yep…here's the key," Cid said. He handed a key that looked like the Oathkeeper to Sora.

"Thanks for everything Cid. See ya!" Sora said. He walked over and inserted the key into the door. The door opened upward and Sora stepped inside.

Riku and Chelsea waved bye to Cid and followed Sora inside. The interior was orange like the outside. There were two pilot seats and four extra seats. Chelsea took in the maps and gadgets.

"Ready for lift-off," Sora said. He inserted the key into the ignition and the ship began to lift off the ground. Chelsea rushed to one of the extra seats and sat down. Sora and Riku were the pilots.

They were in the air. As they left the town behind, Chelsea saw a pink ship going down to the town. "Why can't our ship be pink like that one?" Chelsea asked.

Sora and Riku exchanged glances and smiled.

Written by Chelsea.


	74. Chapter 73 Traverse to Traverse Town

This chapter follows Matt as he, Kairi, Namine, and Roxas fly to Traverse Town to get their ship fixed.

Chapter 73

Traverse to Traverse Town

Matt stared glumly outside the window, watching the stars as they flew by. He woke up with everybody watching out through the windows naming the worlds as they flew by them.

Although heartbroken, Matt was still amazed by the voyage. He kept a watchful eye out for his own home planet, Earth, but all he saw were very unusual planets.

One that they passed appeared to be a jungle in the sky where Kairi said she had met a man named Tarzan.

Another one they passed looked like a huge rock emitting from a huge field of grass.

"And those are the Pride Lands!" Naminé exclaimed. "We met Simba there!"

The most interesting one they passed though was a huge palace temple surrounded by a mass of sand.

"What's that place, Kairi?" Matt asked.

"Sora was there once, I think it's called Agrabah," she answered.

"Kairi! Pay attention!" Roxas yelled. "You almost passed Traverse Town."

Kairi made a quick left.

As Kairi turned, Matt looked out the window to see another Gummi Ship.

"Why can't ours look like that?" Matt asked Roxas.

"I don't know," he answered.

Kairi and Naminé yelled out to each other as they flew the ship down.

They landed the Gummi Ship down on a large sidewalk aside many buildings.

"We're here!" Kairi said.

"Not for long though," Roxas added walking out the door.

"We got to see the Queen!" Naminé exclaimed.

They all followed Roxas out, except Allie who curled herself up in one of the seats and fell asleep.

"What you kids forget now?" yelled a voice.

A spiked blonde dressed in blue pants and a white shirt stained with grease stood before him. He chewed his toothpick as he adjusted the goggles resting upon his head.

"What?" Roxas questioned.

The man rubbed his forehead from sweat as he said, "Sorry kid. I just got done with these other kids' ship. Thought you was'em."

"Oh!" Kairi exclaimed. "Are you the Gummi Ship Mechanic?"

"Engineer," he corrected. "M'name's Cid."

He stretched out a greased hand for them to shake. Kairi and Naminé exchanged looks of disgust. Roxas took his hand and shook.

"Roxas," he said. He turned and pointed as he added, "Matt, Kairi, Naminé," he said pointing them each out.

"Nice to meet ya'll," he said earnestly. "Now you got a problem with your eh…ship? Your pink ship."

As Matt's and Roxas' cheeks blushed, Naminé responded, "Yeah! We do…the backdoor's busted.

"How'd that happen?" Cid asked.

"Long story…" Matt responded.

"Very long," Roxas agreed.

"Anyway we need you to fix it," Kairi said. "If you can, " she quickly added.

"Little lady, I can fix any ship, anywhere, anytime," Cid gloated. "Can you take me to it?"

"Sure! It's in here!" Kairi said.

"I'm pretty sure he could have figured that out," Matt whispered to Naminé and Roxas.

Kairi led Cid to the back of the ship and pointed to the broken door.

Cid dropped to his knees and grazed his fingers across the edge of the door.

"Decent fix-up. Who did it?" he asked.

"I did!" Kairi said cheerfully.

"We did!" Roxas interjected.

"Just needs some Gummi Glu," Cid said. He stood up and walked out of the ship.

"Gummi what?" Matt questioned.

After a few minutes, he returned holding a bucket of black bubbling liquid.

"What's that?" Matt asked.

"Weren't you listening? I said it was Gummi Glu!"

Then, without another word, he splashed the gunk onto the door.

Kairi and Naminé both yelled at him for this.

"Cool your jets, girls," he said. "Look what 'appens."

As if by magic, the substance spread all over the door as it continued to bubble.

Suddenly, the black liquid stopped bubbling and changed its color.

In twenty seconds time, the black gunk vanished and the door remained standing unscathed, unharmed, and unstained.

"Wow!" Matt said under his breath.

"Where'd you get that stuff?" Roxas asked.

"Made it myself," Cid answered proudly. "It takes a while though…about six days to get the full effect."

"Thank you," Naminé said. She then turned to Kairi and said, "That was easy."

"Anytime kids," he replied. "If you ever have ship trouble again, feel free to stop bye. It's on the house next time."

"Next time?" Kairi asked.

"Gummi Glu's not cheap to make! Two hundred munny's my price."

"Here," Matt said handing over part of his salary.

"Thanks kid," he said pocketing the munny.

He looked around the inside the ship and smiled.

"Chip and Dale made this ship for ya. Didn't they?"

Written by Matt.


	75. Chapter 74 Gummi Ship Travel

This chapter follows Chelsea as she gets her first taste of Gummi Ship Travel.

Chapter 74

Gummi Ship Travel

They were flying through space. Chelsea stood up and walked up to Sora and Riku. "Where should I put all of our items?" she asked.

"Over in that cabinet," Riku said pointing to a tall metal cabinet.

"I'm leaving our accessories and Winnie out," she said.

"That's fine," Sora said. He kept his eyes on the space in front of him.

"So you said that it would only take a day to get there?" Chelsea asked as she opened the cabinet and neatly placed the supplies on a shelf.

"Provided we don't run into any trouble," Riku said. He twisted around in his co-pilots seat to face Chelsea.

"What kind of trouble?" Chelsea asked. She securely closed the cabinet and walked up to Riku. She handed him his arm band.

"Crashing or needing to stop at another world," Riku replied as he fastened the band around his arm. Chelsea placed the ring on her hand as well.

"Please don't mention crashing," Sora pleaded. He steered the ship out of the path of an oncoming ship.

"Sorry…I promise to keep my hands away from the controls," Riku said.

Chelsea suppressed a laugh and walked over to one of the small windows. She looked out at space. She was amazed at the sight before her. There were purple and green asteroids all around them. The 'sky' was a deep blue color with twinkling stars. There were many other ships going in all different directions. Chelsea tore her gaze away from the window to look at Sora and Riku.

"So what do you think?" Sora asked.

"It's amazing. The ride's so smooth too," Chelsea replied.

"What are the coordinates of Disney Castle?" Sora asked. He glanced over his shoulder at Chelsea.

"How should I know?" she replied.

"Come with me, I'll show you," Riku said. He stood up and took Chelsea over to one of the huge maps on the wall. "All you need to do is find our location and then find your destination," Riku said. He pointed to two different locations on the map.

"So the coordinates are…north 21 degrees east?" Chelsea asked. She glanced over at Riku to see if she was right.

"That's exactly it," Riku praised.

"Sora, it's north 21 degrees east," Chelsea restated to Sora.

"Got it, thanks," Sora replied. He pushed some buttons then spun around in his chair to look at Chelsea.

"What?" Chelsea asked.

"You remind me of Kairi. Your hair is the same length, you are both medium height, you stand the same way, and your body is perfectly proportioned like hers is," Sora said.

"Thanks…I think," Chelsea replied.

"Are you hitting on my girlfriend?" Riku asked.

"No…I just miss Kairi," Sora replied. He spun back around to face the control panel.

The ship shuddered and started to lose speed. Then it began drifting off to the left. Sora grabbed the steering wheel and jerked the ship back on course. The sudden movement sent Chelsea and Riku falling to the ground.

"What was that for?" Riku asked. He got back up.

"Yeah, keep it steady," Chelsea complained. She stood back up and walked up to the front of the ship. Riku followed her.

"I don't know what happened, I had the autopilot on," Sora said.

"Try the autopilot again," Riku said. He took his seat in the co-pilots position.

"It won't work," Sora said. He was trying to enter the coordinates again.

"Then fly us there," Chelsea suggested.

"I guess I have no choice," Sora replied. He took the wheel. As he did, the ship began to shudder again.

"Now what?" Riku asked. He was looking around to see what had caused it.

Chelsea ran to the nearest window just in time to see an asteroid pass by. "I think we scraped the side of an asteroid," she said.

"Terrific…" Sora mumbled. He pressed a blue button and said, "Chip, Dale, can you hear me?"

There was a crackling noise then Chelsea heard a high pitched voice, "Copy that Sora. What's wrong?"

"We scraped an asteroid, what should we do?" Riku asked.

"Have someone to and check out the damage, then report back," Chip instructed.

"Okay, thanks," Sora said.

"Chelsea and I will go check out the damage. You stay here and fly," Riku said to Sora. He stood up and began walking to the back of the ship.

Chelsea sprinted to catch up with Riku. By the time she reached him, he was opening a hatch in the floor. He began to climb down the ladder. Chelsea followed him.

"What are we looking for?" she asked.

"Some type of damage," Riku replied. He began weaving in and out of the machines.

Chelsea followed his example and began to inspect the different machines. She found that there was a leak coming from the gas tank. "Riku! Over here!" she called.

Riku came running over to where Chelsea was. "What is it?" he asked when he arrived.

"The gas tank is leaking," she said. She pointed to the slow flow of clear liquid coming from the gas tank.

"Come on! We need to tell Sora and Chip," Riku said. He sprinted toward the ladder. By the time Chelsea reached the ladder, Riku had reached the top.

Chelsea climbed the ladder, closed the hatch behind her, and walked up to Sora and Riku.

"…need to tell Chip," Riku finished.

"I agree. He can tell us where to land," Sora agreed.

"Land?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, with that leak, we could never make it all the way to Disney Castle," Riku explained.

Sora pushed the button on the control panel and said, "Chip, we damaged the fuel tank. It's leaking. We need to know where to land so that we can fix it."

"Okay…the nearest place is Halloween Town," Chip replied.

"Thanks, we'll let you know when we get going again," Sora responded.

From where they were, they could just see Halloween Town. Sora gently brought the ship down in a dark alley.

Written by Chelsea.


	76. Chapter 75 Everything According to Plan

This chapter follows Xtmat as he recieves a report.

Chapter 75

Everything According to Plan

A young boy dressed in long black hooded cloak raced down an alley way. His face was hidden both by the shadows of the alley and the cloak itself.

His shoes made loud echoing noises as he furthered himself down it.

Every couple of seconds he would stop and summon a few Heartless. The ghost Heartless dully floated down the walkway. They dragged their freakishly long arms behind them as they followed their creator down the alleyway.

The boy looked upon the creatures and then pointed them down the opposite corner of the alleyway.

"Attack anyone you see," he ordered.

After several moments of silence, the boy revolved back around to his previous path. He ran towards the end of the alleyway which at the end lay a brick wall.

He did not slow down though. He quickened his pace in fact. When he neared the wall, he dove through it.

He landed calmly on his knees.

"You're late," Xtmat said.

"I apologize my liege," the boy replied.

"Where is she?"

The boy twitched slightly as he replied, "I'm sorry, my liege, but I c…could not convince her to come with me."

"Worthless!" Xtmat bellowed.

The boy collapsed on the ground, cowering in fear.

"Why did I choose you? Of all my other minions…"

"I am your most trusted servant!" the boy yelled.

Xtmat closed his eyes and let out a chuckle.

"I partly expected you to fail, but otherwise…you have done me well with your proceedings.

Xtmat snapped his fingers. The boy stood up straight at once.

"Other than this diminutive setback…" Xtmat droned, "is everything going according to plan?"

"Oh yes." The boy pulled down his hood to reveal his face. "Everything."

Xtmat pointed him off.

Rexsil pulled his hood back over his head and walked away.

Written by Matt.


	77. Chapter 76 And We're Off

This chapter follows Matt as they leave Traverse Town.

Chapter 76

And We're Off

"How'd you know that?" Kairi asked.

Cid placed his hands upon his hips. He leaned back slightly while chuckling.

"I've seen a couple of their ships before."

"Really?" Roxas asked.

"Oh yeah!" he replied. "And believe me when I tell you they know their stuff!"

"Well, I could do without the pink," Matt whispered.

"In fact, some kids were here with one of their ships a few minutes before you came."

A rush flew over Kairi as she loudly replied, "Who?!"

Cid flinched from her sudden outburst.

"Calm down kid!" he gasped.

"Who were they?" Kairi demanded smiling so hard, her cheeks were about to crack.

"Ok…name's were…Sora, Riku, and Chelsea."

"We have to leave!" Kairi yelled jumping up and down. "Catch up to them!"

"Friends of yours?" Cid asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah…" Naminé said.

Kairi raced to the controls and started the lift off process by herself.

"Wait a minute, Kairi!" Matt yelled. "Cid needs to get off first!"

Cid gasped and turned immediately to run out the door. He slammed the door behind him yelling, "See ya!"

The moment the door closed, the ship slowly began to lift off of the ground.

Matt, Roxas, and Naminé rushed to their seats to buckle themselves in.

Matt over-judged the distance and sat down too early and fell to the ground.

Roxas erupted into laughter as Matt crawled into his seat.

Naminé turned her head to look back. She smiled, as Matt blushed, and turned back to her controls.

"Kairi! Slow down!" Naminé yelled. "You'll stall the engine if you accelerate that fast!"

"I want to catch up though!"

"Kairi, face the facts!" Roxas said. "They could have stopped at another planet, or took another turn somewhere…space is a big place."

"Sora and Riku are your other friends, right?" Matt asked. "The ones that you fight Heartless with?"

"Wow!" Kairi replied. "I'm surprised that you remembered that."

"Yeah," Naminé added. "I mean, when did we tell you about them?"

"When we first met," Matt answered.

"Long time ago," Kairi awed.

"Yeah…" Matt said watching Naminé twirl the tips of her hair with her fingers.

He laid back his head and fell asleep.

Matt awoke to a very quiet atmosphere.

Roxas was in the rear of the ship coming back from a bathroom break.

Kairi was curled up in her seat fast asleep.

Naminé was up driving the ship steady across the stairs.

Matt apparently made some type of noise because she turned her head to look.

"Morning," she yawned.

"Where are we?" Matt yawned as he stretched across the back of his chair.

"Dunno," she replied.

"Are you serious?!" Roxas asked in a panic.

"No…I'm just kidding," she laughed returning to the controls. "Just passed Atlantica."

"Almost there?" Matt asked hopfully.

Naminé laughed loudly and answered, "No even close! Disney Castle's a few days away."

"Wake me when we get there," Roxas said. "I could sleep for days."

"Got it," Matt said as Roxas buckled in and closed his eyes.

Matt walked over to Kairi and unbuckled her. He cradled her in his arms and carried her over to his own seat. He buckled her in and walked over to her seat. By this time Roxas was already snoring. Allie lay on the ground twitching in her sleep.

"What are you doing?" Naminé asked.

"Stealing her seat," he replied.

"I can't believe you just said that!" Naminé laughed.

"Well… I wanted to sit next to you."

"Ohhh shut it," she said.

Matt gazed over the control board and immediately began to become confused.

"How do you know how to work this stuff?"

"It's easier than it looks," Naminé said pressing about thirteen buttons and flipping a switch before a mechanical voice echoed, "Autopilot initiated."

"Yeah a lot easier," Matt joked.

He looked at Naminé as she pulled a strand of hair out of her face.

"You know…you're really smart, Naminé."

"Thanks…"

They sat still but both their eyes were continually going from each other to someone else.

Mat slowly leaned towards Naminé, but began to pull back.

Then Naminé slowly leaned into him. Matt quickly leaned back into her, but from his excitement his elbow slipped and landed on the horn.

A loud noise echoed throughout the ship.

Allie hissed and ran around the ship in a craze.

Kairi sat bolt upright screaming. The loud noise woke up Roxas who awoke screaming as well. The four teens looked at each other in a panic.

Matt and Naminé parted quickly before Kairi and Roxas noticed; right before they were about to kiss.

"What…was…that?" Kairi gasped.

Naminé and Matt sat dumbfounded for a few moments before Matt blurted out, "A wake-up call! We're…stopping to eat! We left the leftovers at the Backlot."

"Cool…I'm up for that," Roxas commented. "Where?"

"Um…there!" Naminé yelled. She pointed outside the window at a huge golden gate floating in the sky surrounded by an arena.

Written by Matt.


	78. Chapter 77 In Halloween Town

This chapter follows Chelsea, Sora, and Riku as they make a landing in a world called Halloween Town.

Chapter 77

In Halloween Town

Sora turned the engine off. He got out of the pilot's seat and walked over to Chelsea. She handed him his new leg band. Sora fastened it around his ankle. Riku came over to them and nodded.

"What do we do now?" Chelsea asked.

"We need to find someone who can fix the fuel tank," Sora replied.

"How do you propose we do that?" Riku asked.

"We just take a look around town and see if someone can help us," Sora responded.

"That could take forever," Chelsea complained.

"We have no choice," Sora replied. He began walking toward the door.

Riku and Chelsea exchanged glances and decided to follow Sora. They exited the ship. Sora locked the ship behind them and placed the key in his pocket.

The alley where they landed was very dark and dank. At the end of the alley, they could see a huge square where a bunch of denizens were gathered.

"We are going to stand out like a sore thumb," Chelsea said after observing some of the citizens' attire.

"Well…we will just have to take that chance," Sora replied.

Just as Sora spoke these words, they heard a crash come from behind them.

"What was that?" Chelsea asked.

"Oh, don't tell me the ship broke _again,_" Riku said. They reentered the ship and looked around.

Chelsea saw him first; Rexsil was stuck in the door that led to the ships engine. "Rexsil, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I stowed away on your ship. I'm here hoping that you will still reconsider and come with me," he replied.

"Forget it Rexsil, I'm not going with you," Chelsea stated. She spun around to leave. "Come on. Sora, Riku."

"Fine, go off with your hero wanna-be's!" Rexsil yelled after them.

When they reached the dark alley again, Riku looked at Chelsea and asked, "Do you think it's safe to leave him in there?"

"Sure, what can he hurt? We already can't fly anywhere," she responded.

"Okay…let's go see what all the commotion is about out there," Riku said.

The three proceeded down the alleyway until they reached a gate. The gate creaked open to allow the friends through. In the middle of the small square stood a fountain with a snake spitting green water as the main feature.

The three glanced around the square and saw the pumpkin shaped houses lining it. There was another small alley to one side along with a guillotine.

Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer. The three craned their heads to see what all the commotion was about. From where Chelsea stood, she could just see what the crowd was cheering for. A man, or more accurately a skeleton had just emerged from the fountain.

The skeleton was very tall and clad in a black and white striped suit. It had a round head with hollow eye sockets. His long bony fingers were outstretched toward the crowd.

"Thank you my fellow citizens of Halloween Town," the skeleton said. He stepped down out of the fountain.

The crowd cheered again. From within the crowd, a voice rang out, "Jack…Jack Skellington…we have big trouble!" A short double-faced man wearing a tall top hat scurried out of the crowd.

The skeleton turned to face the short man. "Mayor, what is it?" he asked.

"It's the ghosts, they are totally out of control," the mayor replied.

"Jack!" another voice called. A young girl with long red hair approached. "I have a very bad feeling about this," she said.

"Sally…trust me, this year's Halloween will be perfect," Jack said to the young girl. He turned to the crowd and said, "Citizens, practice is over. Feel free to go."

The crowd dispersed and left Sora, Riku, and Chelsea standing in the square. Jack watched the citizens leave and then turned his attention back to Sally and the mayor.

Sally seemed to be the only one to notice Sora, Riku, and Chelsea. From where they were standing, they couldn't hear Jack's conversation. "Should we introduce ourselves?" Chelsea whispered to Sora and Riku.

"I think we should at least get a little closer to hear what they are saying," Riku replied.

"The girl, Sally, noticed us, but the other two haven't. I say we go introduce ourselves," Sora reasoned. As he finished the sentence, he noticed Sally approaching them.

"Hello. You aren't from here, are you?" she asked.

"No, we need to find someone to help us fix our ship," Chelsea replied.

"Your clothes gave you away. If you would like, I can give you clothes so that you will blend in," Sally offered.

"That's very nice of you," Sora replied.

Sally snapped her fingers and the three friends were engulfed in smoke. When the smoke dispersed, Sora, Riku, and Chelsea were in new clothes. Sora wore all black with a pumpkin mask over one eye. Chelsea had on a strapless mini dress in deep purple with fish net stockings and had heavy make-up on. Riku was wearing a black suit with spiders on it with a ghost mask covering one eye.

The three friends stood and admired their new clothes. Chelsea turned to Sally and asked, "Will we get our old clothes back?"

"Once you leave, you will automatically be dressed in your old clothes," Sally replied.

"Sally, is there anything we can do for you now that you helped us?" Sora asked.

"Actually…there is. Can you fight?" Sally asked.

Sora summoned the Oathkeeper, Riku summoned The Way to Dawn, and Chelsea summoned the Starkeeper and the Promisekeeper. "Yeah we are Keyblade bearers," Riku said.

"Really? The legendary Keyblade wielders?" Sally asked excitedly.

"The same. Now, how can we help you?" Sora repeated.

"Follow me," Sally instructed. She led them over to where Jack and the mayor were still conversing. "Excuse me. Jack, I think I found the people that can help you," Sally said. She stepped aside so that Jack could see Sora, Riku, and Chelsea.

"Hello there. I am Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King," Jack said.

"Hi Jack, my name is Chelsea. That's Sora and Riku," Chelsea introduced pointing to Sora and Riku in turn.

"So I hear you can help me," Jack said.

"We are the Keyblade bearers," Riku added.

"Well then…you must help Jack," the mayor intoned.

"Yes, you help me and I will reward you," Jack agreed.

"How do you need help?" Sora asked.

"We must defeat all the Heartless ghosts around town. They were supposed to be part of the Halloween party, but they got out of control," Jack said.

Written by Chelsea.


	79. Chapter 78 A Goat, A Hero, and His Horse

This chapter follows Matt as they land in Olympus Coliseum.

Chapter 78

A Goat, A Hero, and His Horse

"Well then! Bring'er down, Naminé!" Roxas said stretching.

"Um…ok," she replied as she turned off the autopilot.

Then quickly, she turned the wheel and began to descend.

"Matt, when we are about to land, throw that blue switch in front of you and then pull the shift down towards you."

"Ahh…ok," Matt nervously responded.

"Now," Naminé instructed after a few seconds.

Matt did what he was told and the ship landed lightly on the ground.

"What is this place?" Roxas asked stepping outside.

"Stay here Allie." Matt said before closing the door. "I don't know, but…ugh!" he yelled falling to the ground.

"What you fall over now you klutz?!" Kairi laughed.

"Two words!...Me!" yelled a gruff voice from underneath Matt.

"Oh my gosh!" Matt grunted standing up. "I'm sorry."

"Two words, kid…watch where you're going."

All four kids stood still as their mouths dropped open.

A man of two feet stood before them. But they weren't sure if you could call him a man. His legs were shaped like a goat's; hooves, hair, and all. He had the torso of a man and had a large nose.

Hair circled around his head making a mustache and a beard but left a bald spot on the top of his head where two horns emerged out of the sides of his head.

"What?!" he asked. "Never seen a centaur before?"

They shook their heads in response.

"Hmph!" he replied folding his arms and turning his back to them.

"You have a tail!" Naminé examined.

"You got a problem with tha…little lady," he finished flirtatiously.

He then licked his thumb and wiped it across each of his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I do have a tail. So why don't you come over here and I'll show you how it works," he said.

Kairi made a light gagging noise as Naminé answered, "Uh…no thanks." She then took a step behind Matt.

"Stop your flirting Phil!" yelled a voice from behind.

A tall muscular man, with short red hair held up by a headband, was standing behind them. He wore a muscle t-shirt that looked as if it was made of metal.

He wore a gladiator skirt that was held up by a belt that had a circled golden buckle with an imprint of a lightening bolt emerging from a cloud.

He fiddled with his wrist bands as he scuffed his sandaled feet.

"Sorry about him. He can be a real pain sometimes," he said giving him a pat on the head.

"Hmph!" Phil let out.

"Hi! I'm here…" he started, but Phil jumped up and covered his mouth.

"Rule number ninety-one, kid. Never reveal your identity to those who can't be trusted," Phil said.

"Aw…come on Phil! They don't look that bad."

"Fine! But if you want to keep you're her status, you might want to listen to me," Phil stressed.

"I'm Hercules."

Phil reacted quickly. He yelled out loudly and stormed away in a fit.

"I'm Kairi," she said. She then introduced the others.

"Nice to meet you," he replied.

"Is he always like that?" Matt asked pointing over his shoulder to Phil.

"Phil?!" Hercules questioned. "Yeah…but he's a kid at heart."

"What is this place?" Naminé questioned.

"This is Olympus Coliseum! You guys know that! You're here for the tournament, right?" Hercules replied.

"Tournament?" Kairi and Naminé asked.

"The battle tournament!" Hercules exclaimed.

"I don't think that's for," Matt started.

"What do we get if we win?" Roxas interjected.

"Everyone knows that! The winner gets ten thousand munny, a ride on Pegasus, and the Atlas Stone."

"Pegasus?" Naminé questioned.

"Seriously!" Hercules yelled. "He looked upon their faces and put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"You guys aren't around from here, are you?"

"Took you long enough," Matt humored.

"What gave us off?" Kairi asked.

Hercules laughed out loud.

"Everyone knows about the local tournaments. Besides me battling off one of Hades' creatures, they're the only thing interesting around here. Plus, your clothes are a little different from the usual toga."

"So you're a hero?" Matt asked. "You battle off monsters and those sort of things?"

Hercules scratched the back of his neck answering modestly, "Yeah…"

"How'd you get stuck with that job?" Roxas asked.

"Uh…it's better if I just show you," he replied.

He walked in front of their Gummi ship and took hold of the hood. With the greatest ease, he picked up the ship and held it with one hand.

"Wow," was all that Matt could manage to say.

Hercules placed the ship back down on the ground asking, "Anymore questions?"

It took a while for the teenagers to absorb this.

Finally Kairi blurted out, "How'd you do that?!"

"I'm half immortal," he replied. He looked at their faces and added, knowing that they were confused, "It means I'm really strong."

"Who's Pegasus? And Hades? And what's an atlas stone?" Roxas finally asked.

Matt, Naminé, and Kairi all shook their heads in agreement at Hercules. They stood quietly, anticipating the answers.

"You guys are like from a different world or something," Hercules joked.

They all laughed with him, trying not to give anything away.

Hercules then turned his head to the sky and let out a loud whistle.

Suddenly, like a comet, a winged white horse with a blue mane flew out of the sky and landed swiftly on his feet in front of Hercules.

"Meet Pegasus," Hercules said as he scratched behind Pegasus' ears. Pegasus whinnied in response.

"She's beautiful!" Kairi cried.

Pegasus spread and ruffled its wings and neighed loudly.

"Pegasus is a he," Hercules corrected.

He then pulled a yellow round stone and held it out in front of them.

"This is the Atlas stone. It carries immense power," Hercules said. "Once you activate its powers, the holder of this will become immortal."

"Meaning…" Roxas asked confused.

"You can't die, or even get hurt!" Hercules exclaimed. "But its power only lasts a day, so you have to choose carefully when to activate it."

"Interesting," Naminé said.

"Now as for Hades," Hercules began. "He is…"

"Wonder boy!" yelled a voice.

A brunette in a long purple dress came running to them. Her eyes were heavily covered with purple makeup and her hair was put up into a long ponytail. The sash tied around her waist waved in the wind as she ran.

"Meg? What's wrong?!" Hercules asked.

"Hades is controlling these…these…black creatures! They're attacking everybody at the arena!" Meg responded.

"Heartless," Matt said.

Written by Matt.


	80. Chapter 79 Helping Jack

This chapter follows Chelsea, Sora, and Riku as they help Jack.

Chapter 79

Helping Jack

"Defeat all the Heartless ghosts," Chelsea repeated.

"Yes, until now, they have been harmless and done what we instructed," Jack added.

"Okay…so why do we need to get rid of them?" Sora asked.

"Because recently the Heartless have begun attacking the citizens around town," the mayor explained.

"Let's go!" Riku shouted eager to get the job done.

"Follow me," Jack said.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea followed Jack away from the fountain and toward one of the alleys near the guillotine. They continued down the alley to another rusty gate.

"Jack, where are we going?" Chelsea asked as Jack pushed open the gate.

"All the ghosts are being kept in the graveyard," Jack replied.

They passed through the gate and saw a hill that curled under. Jack walked up the hill and it began to uncurl under his feet. They passed over the hill and into a graveyard.

"Is this it?" Sora asked.

"Yes. The ghosts should be here," Jack replied looking around.

"Who's that?" Riku asked. He was pointing to a man in a wheelchair.

"Ahh…that's Dr. Finkelstein," Jack said. He began walking over to the doctor.

Chelsea, Sora, and Riku followed him. The doctor looked over at the newcomers. He toggled the control and swiveled his wheelchair around to view his visitors.

"Jack Skellington! I'm glad to see you!" the doctor exclaimed.

"Doctor, what's the matter?" Jack asked.

Dr. Finkelstein was a bald man with pale skin and black lab goggles on. "It's the ghosts. I'm afraid to say that I accidentally let them escape," the doctor said.

"How did that happen? I came with help to destroy them," Jack said motioning toward Sora, Riku, and Chelsea.

"I came to take a ghost back to my lab to investigate why they went berserk," the doctor began.

"And?" Jack pressed.

"When I arrived, the ghosts swarmed me and then escaped," the doctor finished.

"We must go after them," Jack said. He turned to face Sora, Riku, and Chelsea and added, "Are you ready?"

"Let's do this," Sora said. His Oathkeeper appeared in his hand. Chelsea and Riku followed suit and summoned their Keyblades.

"They headed toward town," Dr. Finkelstein said.

"Thanks, let's go," Jack said. He began retracing his steps.

"Oh and Jack, come to my lab when you finish," the doctor added.

Jack nodded and began to sprint back to town. Sora, Riku, and Chelsea ran after Jack. They sprinted back to where Jack first appeared.

"There's one," Chelsea pointed out. Over by the guillotine there was a floating white ghost with gangly arms.

Sora was the first to reach the ghost. He swung the Keyblade and the Heartless disappeared releasing a pink heart.

"How many are there?" Riku asked.

"There were at least fifty trapped in the graveyard," Jack replied.

The four continued to search for the ghosts. After disposing of ten more Heartless, Riku said, "Are you sure there were fifty?"

"I'm positive…I just can't imagine where they are," Jack said.

"Maybe I can help you with that," a voice said.

The group turned to face the person who had spoken. "Oogie Boogie!" Jack yelled pointing a finger at the person who had spoken.

"Oogie Boogie?" Chelsea asked. She squinted to try and make out his features. To her he looked like a living bag with arms, legs, and holes cut out for eyes.

"He is a criminal that lives in a mansion on the outskirts of the town," Jack replied.

"That's right and I believe I have the answer to your question," Oogie Boogie said.

"And what would that be?" Jack asked.

"I lured my little ghost friends here away from their enclosure with this," Oogie said holding out a heart shaped container. Around him, the rest of the Heartless ghosts appeared.

"What's that he's holding?" Riku asked.

"That's Dr. Finkelstein's artificial heart. He made it to try and control the Heartless," Jack explained.

"That's right and with this little army here, I'm gonna take over Halloween Town," Oogie said.

"No way!" Sora shouted. He began running at Oogie Boogie Keyblade poised to strike.

Riku and Chelsea followed after him. Sora began swinging at Oogie while Chelsea and Riku began defeating the ghosts. Jack jumped into the battle, helping Sora.

Chelsea defeated all the ghosts around her and then began helping Riku. After defeating a ghost, she noticed that Sora and Riku were worn out and losing their fights. She first shouted, "Cura!" and healed them then she concentrated and thought, "_I wish that Sora and Riku were winning their fights." _At that moment, Sora knocked the heart out of Oogie's hand and Riku defeated the remaining ghosts.

"You…you'll rue the day you got the better of me," Oogie said before running off.

Jack had caught the heart and walked over to Sora, Riku, and Chelsea. "Let's go to see Dr. Finkelstein," he said.

Jack led them over to the guillotine and through a door. They walked up a short set of stairs and into a science lab. There was a shelf of books and a table with a strange looking device above it.

"I see you are back…so you must have defeated the ghosts," the doctor said noticing his visitors.

"Yes and that is yours, right?" Sora said pointing to the heart in Jack's hand.

"Yes it is. Where did you get it?" the doctor asked.

"Oogie Boogie had it. He was the one who had set the ghosts free," Jack explained.

"Thank you. Now what can I do for you?" Doctor Finkelstein said.

Written by Chelsea.


	81. Chapter 80 Arena Attack

I want to take a minute to thank all of you out there who have been loyaly following this story. THANK YOU!!

Chapter 80

Arena Attack

"Heartless?!" Meg yelled. "What are they?" she added from suspicion.

Matt started to explain when Phil came running back to them from around the corner. He flung his arms over his head wildly screaming, "Herc! Herc!"

He stopped inches from the group and bent over placing his hands on his knees. He was extremely out of breath taking a breath in between each word.

"Herc…you…got…to…come…these…things…are…attacking…" he panted.

"The arena?" Kairi asked but she answered her own question before Phil even had a chance. "Yeah…we know. They're called Heartless."

"Yeah!" Roxas agreed. "We fight them all the time!"

"What?…How?…_Really?_" Phil asked.

He then pointed his finger at the teens and yelled, "You brought them here!"

"What?" they all yelled in response.

"Come on, Phil. We wouldn't do that," Naminé explained.

"Rule number twenty-two-'Don't believe those who you can't trust'. Right Herc?"

"Right!" Hercules responded.

Phil stuck out his tongue and teased, "Nah nah nah nah nah nah!"

"And I do trust them!"

Phil reacted so violently he almost fell over on his face. He threw his arms up in the air and stomped hard on the ground with both his feet yelling, "Hmph!"

"Meg, where are the Heartless?" Roxas asked quickly.

"They're…over at the arena, but…that's on the other side of town."

"No problem, I'll get there on Pegasus!" Hercules said.

Pegasus responded joyfully trotting over to his owner and licking his face, then with one giant leap, Hercules mounted Pegasus.

"There's thousands of them though! I know you think you're all that Wonderboy but let's be realistic!" Meg yelled.

Hercules then pointed at Matt and said, "Come with me. You too Naminé!"

He reached down and grabbed them by the back of their shirts and tugged, throwing them behind him on the horse.

"Um…are you sure this thing is safe?" Matt asked.

"Phil, bring Roxas and Kairi to the arena and help as many people as you can!" Hercules ordered.

"I'm not very comfortable!" Matt said as Naminé clenched around his waist.

"We'll meet you there! Go Pegasus!" Hercules added. He kicked Pegasus in the side, giving him the signal to take off.

Pegasus bent his legs and jumped. He flew fast into the air.

Matt immediately took hold off Hercules' waist trying to stay amount.

"I hate heights!" he cried flying off into the distance.

"Kairi! Roxas! This way!" Meg yelled running off into the street.

"Right behind you!" Kairi yelled.

Roxas ran after them in a sprint panting, "I wanted to ride the horse."

Phil yelled after Meg, "I was supposed to lead them!"

"Go back! Go back! Land this thing right now!" Matt yelled over the rush of the wind.

"Ride's almost over Matt!" Her yelled.

Pegasus dove down at once causing Matt to yell even louder than before.

Pegasus landed on the ground with great ease. Matt still screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Matt! We're on the ground!" Naminé yelled.

Matt silenced at once and side-stepped off of Pegasus looking extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"Hurry guys! Hercules yelled. He ran towards the arena which looked like a huge football stadium. Many people were running from the place in fear.

Matt and Naminé rushed forward after Hercules.

They pushed through the crowd of people exiting through the huge entrance doors. Naminé's jaw dropped at the sight she saw.

In the arena, there were thousands of Heartless swarming the many inhabitants inside. Few people remained standing as they tried to fend off the Heartless.

Matt saw Hercules in the middle of the crowd defending an old man.

"Matt! Watch out!" Naminé yelled.

Matt turned his head to see five of the creatures lashing out against him.

A fireball launched out towards them at the last second and disintegrated them.

Matt turned his head to see Naminé with her Heartreliever in her hand with a few sparks still emitting from the tip.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

They stared at each other for a few seconds smiling at one another.

"Matt! Naminé!" Hercules yelled. "Don't just stand there!"

The old man cowered behind Hercules as the hero took hold of one the creatures and began to swat away others with it.

Matt and Naminé nodded at each other knowing what had to be done. Naminé ran into the crowd and began fighting. Matt summoned his Dreamscape and his Wingblader.

He threw Wingblader with great force into the mass and it immediately bean to do its work, slicing its way against the creatures.

As Matt battled his way through the Heartless with Dreamscape, he saw many collapsed people. They lay unconscious, unaware of the battle pursuing.

As Wingblader returned to him, he noticed a young girl struggling to fight.

He rushed over to help her. He stepped beside her, but raised his Dreamscape in defense. At that moment the girl had swung her double sided spear at him.

"Hey!" Matt screamed. "I'm on your side!"

A strand of hair fell in her face as she scoped out Matt, but reluctantly withdrew her weapon and attacked the nearest Heartless.

She and Matt faced back to back, fighting together.

It seemed that they fought for hours, but more and more Heartless appeared out nowhere.

Matt looked into the mass hoping he would see Naminé still standing on her feet fending off the Heartless.

"How…long have …you…been fighting…these things?!" Matt yelled.

"I lost count….after five minutes! I've…been too occupied….trying…to stay standing!"

She threw her spear at the nearest Heartless and replied, "I'm a little more concerned about if I remain fighting then how long I've been doing it!"

"True!" Matt replied. He threw Wingblader into the crowd.

"_I wish these things would just die_!" Matt thought.

Matt pointed at Wingblader with Dreamscape and yelled, "Thudaraga!"

A huge lightening bolt emerged from the tip of Dreamscape and hit Wingblader dead center.

Wingblader spun more rapidly than ever, and instead of stopping the thunder attack, it multiplied it, sending tiny bolts in many directions, vanishing Heartless on impact.

The only inhabitants of the arena now, besides the hundreds of collapsed victims, were Matt, the young girl, Naminé, who appeared to have been hit by a lightning bolt for her hair was standing up on end, Hercules, the old man he was protecting, and a blue-skinned man with a blue flame for hair standing in the middle of the arena.

His long blue toga draped from his shoulders and he hunched over and began to laugh.

His long nose stretched off his face and he smiled showing his pointed, yellow teeth.

"Hey guys!" he yelled. "Just thought I'd throw a little party for ya! Sorry _Wonderboy, _but I'm gonna have to split."

"Hades!" Hercules yelled running towards him.

Hades snapped his fingers and at once a cloud of smoke encircled him.

"Ok…we're here to fight!" Roxas yelled entering through the gate. Meg, Phil, and Kairi followed him closely.

They all looked at the inside of the arena with their eyes big and their mouths dropped.

"Man! I miss all the fun!" Roxas yelled.

Written by Matt.


	82. Chapter 81 Dr Finkelstein's Repairs

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Dr. Finkelstein's Repairs

"Actually…we have a request," Sora spoke up.

"What's that?" the doctor asked.

"Could you perhaps fix our ship?" Riku asked.

"What kind of ship?" the doctor asked.

"A Gummi Ship. We scraped an asteroid and put a hole in the fuel tank," Sora explained sheepishly.

"A Gummi Ship you say? That's an easy fix. I will even add a few upgrades for you. Provided you all help me do the work," Dr. Finkelstein said.

"It's a deal," Riku agreed.

At this point, Jack spoke up and said, "While you do that, I'm going to go track Oogie Boogie down."

"Okay…when you find where he went, come get us," Riku said.

"Where is your ship?" the doctor asked interrupting what Jack was about to say.

"We'll take you there," Sora said.

"Where can I find you?" Jack finally asked.

"In a small alley that is a dead end," Chelsea said.

Jack nodded his head and left the other four. Riku motioned for the others to follow him. They left the lab and through the town square. They walked through the gate and approached the Gummi Ship.

"Here we are," Sora said pointing to the ship. He dug the key out of his pocket and opened the door.

They entered the ship to find a plume of smoke rising from the small fire. Riku ran over to the cabinet and pulled out fire extinguisher. He aimed the jet of foam at the fire. In a minute it was out.

"Who could have done that?" Chelsea asked. She came up beside Riku to examine the damage.

"The only person who could…Rexsil," Sora said. He, too, came up to view the damage.

"How can you be sure?" Chelsea asked.

"By the message on the wall," Sora said pointing to a small piece of paper above the fire.

Chelsea pulled it down and read it. "You have got to be kidding me. He did this and could've suffocated my little Winnie," she said.

"What does it say?" Riku asked.

"I started the fire to prove to you that I am the more powerful of the heroes here. I didn't want to, but if it's the only way, then so be it. If it suffocates your dog then maybe you will realize how powerful I am. Signed, Rexsil," Chelsea read aloud.

"That guy will do anything to get your attention," Riku said to Chelsea.

"And he's still not getting it. You are the one I love, no one else," Chelsea replied. She made her way over to Winnie's kennel to make sure she was okay. Inside, Winnie was fast asleep.

"I…I love you too," Riku replied stunned.

"Enough mushy love junk, can we fix this ship?" Dr. Finkelstein interrupted.

"Oh yeah, let's do it," Sora agreed.

"You two go on ahead and get started. Chelsea and I will stay here and clean up the mess from Rexsil," Riku said.

"Okay…" Sora agreed reluctantly. He led the doctor the long way down to the gas tank.

"So…did you do that so we can be alone, or to actually clean the mess?" Chelsea asked inching closer to Riku.

"Both," he replied. He was so close to Chelsea that he could feel her body heat.

Chelsea couldn't take it any longer and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around Riku's neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

When they broke apart, Riku said, "You are the girl of my dreams."

"How do I know you mean that?" Chelsea asked.

Riku showed her. He pulled her into another kiss and let her hands roam freely.

"I see, that how," Chelsea said. Her cheeks had a slight pink tint to them.

They each silently agreed to clean the mess. They began by disposing of the charred paper and then opened the windows to get the smell out. Next, they took rags out of the supply cabinet and wetted them down at the small bathroom. They washed the black smoke residue off the walls.

"Maybe we should go help Sora and the doctor now," Riku suggested.

"Yeah," Chelsea agreed. They made their way down to the fuel tank to find Sora and the doctor finished patching up the leak.

"What in the name of Kingdom Hearts took you two so long?" Sora asked seeing the couple approach.

Chelsea and Riku's face each flushed. "Nothing," they said.

"Uh-huh…anyway the fuel tank is fixed and full," Sora said.

"Good. So doctor, what upgrades do you have in mind?" Riku asked.

"I am going to add some extra engines," the doctor said.

"Let's go get that done," Riku said.

They all exited the ship and went around to the back of the ship. From out of nowhere, the doctor pulled two hunks of metal. "Sora, cut four holes out of the blocks," the doctor instructed.

Sora did as he was instructed. After he finished, the doctor took the metal and inserted it in the holes.

"Is that it?" Chelsea asked.

"No, now we need to connect the circuits. Riku, lift the small door there and connect the green wires," the doctor said.

Riku went over to where the doctor said and found a small hidden door. He opened it to reveal a maze of wires of various colors. He located the two green wires and connected them.

"Now is that it?" Chelsea asked.

"That's it," the doctor confirmed.

"Good, you're done. I've found Oogie Boogie. He took refuge at his mansion," Jack said approaching.


	83. Chapter 82 The Tournament Begins

Chapter 82

Chapter 82

The Tournament Begins

"Believe me, Roxas," Naminé began wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "You are glad you missed this."

Naminé ran a hand through her ruffled hair as she wiped dirt off her skirt with her other hand. Fresh scars painted her legs.

"Thank you Hercules! Thank you!" the old man yelled stepping out from behind him revealing his hunched body.

He wore a bright blue toga with a long red braided rope tied around his waist. With the little hair that remained on top of his head, it looked as if he combed it all over to the right side of his head.

"Once again you have saved my wrinkled behind!" he joked.

"No problem, Mr. Mankis!" Hercules replied. "Without you, we wouldn't even be having these tournaments."

"Oh, well…" he started trying to hide that he was flattered. "I just manage these tournaments. It's people like you that bring the success to the arena."

He waved his arms in the air and looked around the arena. Rubble lay in piles from the broken benches and walls. He lowered his arms in embarrassment.

"Speaking of which, what are your names?" he asked the teens.

Roxas, Naminé, Matt, and Kairi all introduced themselves to the aged man by stretching out their hands in a friendly exercise.

"My name's Charlen, sir," said the young girl whom Matt had fought beside. She focused her lime green eyes on Mr. Mankis with extreme concentration.

She had brown hair that was lined with pink highlights. A ponytail hung from the right side of her head that she had gathered with a purple scrunchie.

She wore a zip-up sweater vest that was put on over a t-shirt emblazoned with a skull t-shirt. The jeans she wore were cut off at her hip on her left leg while the other jean leg had many holes through it.

The two double sided spears were placed behind her back in a satchel that were placed in the shape of an 'x'.

"Canin," said the young boy. "Canin Piap."

He gave off a very weird persona. He had one blue eye and one red eye that seemed to be constantly moving. He wore a black hat and shirt and wore red jeans with blue stripes. He wore polka-dot hand gloves that were now moving the blue scarf around his neck back to its original position.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Mr. Mankis yelled. "I assume that you all were her to compete in the tournament?"

"Yes!" Charlen replied almost immediately.

"Mmm…" Canin mumbled.

Matt and Naminé looked at each other before answering, "Yes."

"Well then, I have a proposition for you four. Since you four were the only ones that could stand up to Hades' little 'distraction', why don't you four be the only ones to compete for the prize?"

"What?!" Roxas yelled. "But…but…why?! I wanted to compete too!"

"Sorry kid, but there's no need for you to compete. I'm positive these four would be in the finals anyway."

"Darn right!" Charlen yelled in agreement.

As Kairi, Roxas, Hercules, Phil, and Meg attended to the victims of the attack, Mr Mankis described the details of the tournament.

"Now since there are four of you, there will be two semifinals and one final. The winners of the first two battles will face off for the championship."

Naminé made a light gasp. She turned and looked at Matt, who seemed unaware of her reaction.

"_I don't want to fight Matt,_" she thought.

"Mr. Piap will duel Miss Naminé here, meanwhile Miss Charlen will battle young Matthew." Mr. Mankin described.

Both Matt and Naminé let out a sight of relief.

"Now after we get this place cleaned up, we can get this tournament started!" Mr Mankin yelled cheerfully.

And with these words he pulled out many colored spray bottles from the pockets of his toga.

"Potions," he explained as he turned and began to heal the nearest victim.

After about twenty minutes, the group managed to revive all of the arena's inhabitants, while Hercules managed to carry out all of the rubble.

Although the people were somewhat shocked, they were anxious for the tournament; however, most were disappointed to find out they were now excluded.

Phil had taken Naminé and Matt aside and began to lecture them the 'hero' rules.

"Rule number ninety-eight- concentrate! Rule number ninety-nine- aim! Rule number one hundred- keep your eyes on the prize! Rule number one hundred one-…"

Meg nudged Hercules in the side, whispering, "Remember when that was you?"

"That was a long time ago," Hercules remembered.

"Before you saved me even, Wonderboy," she replied giving him a little kiss on his cheek with Hercules blushing slightly in response.

"Rule number one hundred seventeen!"

"Phil!" Hercules said. "We got to get up in the stands. They'll be going soon."

Phil turned to Hercules and said, "Rule number thirty-six- never rush!"

With that Hercules picked Phil up and walked up into the stands with Phil yelling all the way. Meg gave Matt and Naminé a quick hug and ran to meet up with Hercules and Phil.

"Good luck guys," Kairi said. "Win it for us!" she added enthusiastically.

"You better win," Roxas teased giving Matt and Naminé each their respective high fives, before adding, "I would of."

"We'll be cheering from the stands!" Kairi yelled.

She took Roxas by the hand and bolted towards the stands, almost dragging Roxas behind her.

Matt and Naminé stood in an awkward silence that was broken by Mr. Mankis' voice that rang throughout the stadium.

"Welcome! To the Olympus Coliseum!"

The crowd cheered loudly in response.

"I know many of you had come here to compete, but I made a slight change for the tournament this year! As most of you fell in battle against the creatures that Hades had summoned, you're all not allowed to compete!"

The crowd booed and hissed in response yelling insults, some yelling threats.

"I'm sorry, but these four contestants remained standing alongside Hercules!"

This silenced most of the crowd.

"Young sirs Matt and Canin and ladies Charlen and Naminé have proved their strength and now will battle for the prizes!"

Cheers erupted once again; however, some seemed like they were fake.

"I've chosen who will battle who and our first fight is…"

Mr. Mankis played very well on the crowd's anticipation. He built the suspense by keeping silent every second.

"Charlen versus Matt!"

"Oh god," Matt groaned.

"Will the two competitiors please join me in the middle of the arena?"

"Good luck," Naminé said timidly.

Matt waved in response walking towards the center. He saw Charlen approaching from the opposite side.

A look of confidence spread wide across her face.

"Shake hands," Mr. Mankis instructed as they reached each other.

As they released their grip Mr. Mankis began to back away.

"Begin!"


	84. Chapter 83 Oogie's Mansion

Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Oogie's Mansion

"Take us there and we will help you defeat him," Riku said.

Jack nodded his agreement. Chelsea looked at Riku then at Sora. Sora noticed the worried look on her face. He shook his head slightly.

Chelsea edged her way closer to Sora and asked, "Why is he always so ready to fight?"

"It's just his nature. He was always aggressive back when we were little too," Sora responded.

"I guess I just have to deal with it," she said to Sora. To Riku, she said, "All right, let's go."

Jack waved a hand showing the others to follow him. He led them down the alleyway and through the gate. They walked through the square and down another alley. This one was past the large pumpkin shaped house.

They passed through the alley and into a small, cramped cemetery. Jack led them around the crumbling headstones. They reached a pumpkin shaped crypt.

"Where do we go now?" Sora asked. He was looking around, trying to find another way out.

"Through there," Jack answered pointing at the crypt.

"We have to go into _that?_" Chelsea asked appalled.

"Yes, it's the only way to reach Oogie Boogie," Jack said.

"Okay…if I have to," Chelsea said reluctantly.

She held out her hand for Riku to take. He gladly cupped her hand in his. They jumped into the open crypt; Sora first, then Jack, and finally Chelsea and Riku.

They emerged on a wide bridge that ways flanked by stone gargoyles. At the end was an ornate gate that was rusted and neglected.

"Come along fellows," Jack said. He led the group down the bridge.

As if sensing their approach, the gate eerily creaked open. The group passed silently through and onto a rotting wooden bridge.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea looked up at the huge mansion in front of them. The mansion was huge; it towered over them. The lopsided towers looked as if they were going to fall over.

"Whoa! _This _is Oogie's mansion?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, he is in the bottom most dungeon," Jack explained.

"How do we get down there?" Chelsea asked.

"We first have to go to the top most tower and release the lock. Then, we can slide down the secret passage," Jack clarified.

"Come on, let's go," Sora said.

Jack led them across the rickety bridge to some stone steps. They walked up the steps to a huge door. Jack carefully pushed open the door and was greeted by Heartless.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea summoned their Keyblades and quickly defeated the gargoyle like creatures.

"We won't be able to enter that easily fellows," Jack said.

"Excuse me…I'm not a 'fellow,'" Chelsea said.

"Uh-huh," Jack mumbled. You could tell that he hadn't really heard her.

They continued into a large circular room. The room was decorated in a gambling theme. To the right side of the room was a circular staircase.

They took the staircase up to the next floor. This room had a hall leading off to the left. The group took two steps into the room and were attacked by more Heartless.

Riku was the first to reach the Heartless. He swiftly swung his Keyblade and connected with the Heartless. They disappeared with a poof. The tiny pink heart floated up and then vanished.

"Good job Riku," Sora praised.

"Thanks," Riku replied.

Jack led them down the dark hallway. Lining the walls were various photos of Oogie Boogie. They came to the end of the hall and were met with another staircase.

"How many freaking stairs are in this place?" Chelsea complained.

"This will lead us to a room where we can reach the tower," Jack said. He began ascending the steep stairs.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea began to follow Jack up the steps when they heard high pitched evil laughter.

"What was _that_?" Sora asked.

"Probably just Lock, Shock, and Barrel," Jack said. He continued up the stairs.

After a quick glance around, they continued up the steps as well. At the top was a tiny room furnished with axes and swords. One look around the room sent shivers down Chelsea's spine.

"Can we please get out of this room?" Chelsea asked. She was nervously glancing around the room.

"Come on, this way," Jack said. He began walking down one of the three hallways.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea scrambled after him. They proceeded down the hall and came to a green door. Jack walked right at the door. It slid open with ease.

The room was small and dark. The only light came from the flickering candles around the room.

"There!" Riku shouted. He walked toward the lever, but stopped short.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"It's Lock, Shock, and Barrel," Jack said.

Three little kids ran into view. The girl, Shock, was dressed as a witch. Lock was a devil and Barrel was a skeleton.

"Move out of the way!" Chelsea shouted summoning the Starkeeper. She waved it menacingly in front of the kids.

Jack moved forward and stooped down to look at the kids. "Move," he said.

The kids scurried aside allowing the group to access the lever. Jack pulled it down and a hole just wide enough for a person to fit into opened in the wall.

Jack jumped into it first, followed by Sora, Riku, and Chelsea. They slid down the grimy dark tunnel and were deposited on what seemed to be a giant roulette wheel.


	85. Chapter 84 The Battles

Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The Battles

Charlen reacted so quickly, it seemed that Matt was moving in slow-motion.

She grabbed the spear from behind her back and swung it hard against Matt's face.

Matt did a backwards somersault to dodge her next attack.

"Watch out Matt!" Kairi yelled from the stands.

Matt summoned his keyblades just before Charlen had made a downward swipe with her spear.

Matt stuck Dreamscape in front of him. Their weapons had collided into each other making light sparks.

Charlen reached behind her back and pulled her second spear from behind her back. She swung it low this time, hoping to knock out his feet.

Matt reacted as well and deflected it using Wingblader.

"Fira!" Charlen yelled.

"Thundara!" Matt screamed.

Their spells met between each other and reacted chemically. A small explosion blew off between them sending them flying in different directions.

Matt hit the solid ground hard causing him to grunt with pain.

Charlen landed swiftly on her feet and counterattacked by throwing one of her spears directly at Matt.

Matt shifted his head out of the way at the last second.

The tip of the spear plunged into the wall and began to bob up and down.

Matt struggled to get to his feet. Five minutes into the match and he already was exhausted.

"Matt!" Roxas screamed.

Matt took notice too late as Charlen rebounded yet again. She had sprinted towards him and had struck him in the back with her spear.

Phil yelled from the stands, "Matt! Rule number sixty-four! Pay attention!"

She took her first spear from the wall and swinging wildly at Matt.

Matt continued to dodge her attacks, occasionally throwing in one of his attacks.

The crowd reacted loudly as Matt and Charlen would exchange hits.

"Fira!" Charlen yelled.

Matt struck the many fireballs back at her, some of them actually hitting her.

Suddenly Matt remembered.

Concentrating very hard, he began to put all his energy into his next attack.

Charlen began running at him at full speed, when Matt did a Quickblade attack.

The quickness of his attack threw her off so bad, he not only hit her but she hit herself with her own spear.

She looked up at him with a very bewildered look upon her face, but launched herself at him with another attack.

Jumping up in the air he focused all of his energy in his Razorblade attack. Falling onto the ground he dug Wingblader into the ground sending light waves around him sending Charlen flying into the nearest wall.

The crowd yelled with great sound as the battle continued.

"Is that all…you got?" Charlen asked trying to hide the fact she was out of breath.

"Not…even close."

The smiles immediately began to vanish from their faces.

Attack after attack, counterattack after counterattack, the battle seemed to go on for ages.

Charlen grunted in frustration as she swung wildly at Matt.

She missed yet again and she thrashed her spears at Matt in a frantic berserk.

"That's right, Matt!" Hercules yelled. "Get her frustrated!"

"Stand! Still!" she yelled.

Matt continued to dodge her attacks until he could see his next move, and then…he did.

Charlen charged him and swung her spear at Matt. Matt stepped to the side and took hold of her spear. He spun in a circle, still holding on to the spear.

He let go sending Charlen flying across the arena.

Matt thought would spell he would cast, "_Fira!_"

"Thundara!" he yelled pointing Dreamscape.

Fire erupted from Wingblader and bolts of lightning emerged from the tip of Dreamscape. The two spells met each other inches in front of Charlen.

A massive explosion sent her flying into the arena wall. The hair from the spectator's blew wildly from the wind of the explosion.

As the dust settled, Charlen finally became visible once again.

She lay unconscious in a pile of rubble in the opposite side of the arena.

"And our winner!" Mr. Mankis yelled. He ran out to meet Matt. He took hold of Matt's arm and held it above his head. "Matt!"

The crowd went wild in response, especially Kairi. She leaned over the edge so much that Roxas and Phil had to hold her legs to prevent her from falling out.

"YEAH MATT!" she shrieked. "Way to go! You did it! YEAH MATT!"

Mr. Mankis shook Matt's hand congratulating him on his win before running over to Charlen. Matt walked over to Naminé in the far corner where Naminé was waiting.

"You did it!" Naminé screeched as she flung her arms around him. "Congrats!"

"Thanks," Matt replied. He was released from the embrace and sat on the ground. He lay down on his back and closed his eyes. As he opened them, he saw Charlen.

"Good battle," she said.

"You too," he replied.

"Mind if I join you for the next one?" she asked.

"Sure," Matt said patting on the ground beside him.

Naminé's breath had escaped her. She completely forgot that she had to fight.

"Will Miss Naminé and Mister Piap please join me in the center of the arena?"

"Good luck, Naminé," Matt said.

"Represent the ladies!" Charlen added.

Naminé hesitantly walked towards the center where Canin was already waiting.

She summoned Heartreliever as she stood beside him. Mr. Mankin gazed over her worriedly as he said, "Shake hands"

Naminé reached out her hand, but Canin only glanced at it. She brought it back feeling very embarrassed.

"Begin!"

"Fira!" Naminé yelled. She was the first to act.

The fire that emerged from the tip of her Keyblade raced towards Canin.

He stood still, seeming unaware that she had cast an attack.

He placed his hand in front of him at the last second. He hand absorbed the fire. The polka dots on his gloves seemed to glow.

"What the?" Naminé questioned.

Canin smirked as he withdrew some black pellets from his pocket.

He threw them into the ground and immediately a cloud of black smoke surrounded Canin and Naminé.

Naminé began to become extremely panicked. Then she was struck in the back.

She turned and swung her keyblade, but missed again.

"How can I attack someone I can't see?!" she yelled.


	86. Chapter 85 Battle with Oogie Boogie

Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Battle with Oogie Boogie

"I was expecting you," came the rough voice of Oogie Boogie. He stepped forward from the shadows.

"You can't steal a heart, summon Heartless, and then run away and expect to get away with it," Jack said pointing a long bony finger at Oogie Boogie.

"I don't expect to just run away. I lured you four here to play a few games," Oogie replied an evil smile playing across his face.

"We don't have time for games," Sora said.

"Nonsense, everyone has time for a few _games_," Oogie said. At the last word, he tossed huge orange glowing dice at the group.

They exploded on contact with the ground. The force of the explosion knocked the group farther onto the roulette wheel. As they each stood up, tall metal gates formed around the outside of the wheel.

"What kind of a game is this?" Chelsea asked.

"If you can defeat me, you win. I will never bother anyone again," Oogie said.

"It's a deal," Riku said. He rushed forward toward the gates. He tried to jump over them, but couldn't.

"Riku! Look out!" Chelsea screamed.

Riku looked up in time to see Oogie Boogie with four of his exploding dice. He jumped out of the way just as the dice hit the floor. The dice exploded and once the smoke dispersed, the group watched the gates fall down slightly.

"That's the key! All we need to do is either knock the dice back at him, or dodge the dice," Sora exclaimed. He summoned the Oathkeeper and was poised to knock the dice away.

Riku and Chelsea followed suit; their Keyblades appeared in their hands. Sora and Jack ran to the right while Riku and Chelsea ran to the left. Oogie Boogie threw two dice at each pair.

Sora knocked the two incoming dice back at the gates. Chelsea swung at one while Riku took the other. All four dice hit the gates at the same time. The gate dropped down slightly.

"This is gonna take forever," Chelsea complained.

"That's only the beginning, girlie," Oogie said. Now he held a regular pair of dice, only super sized. He tossed them at the group. "Haha snake eyes; that means…spinning ninja stars."

"Wha…look out!" Riku cried out. He was pointing to Oogie who now held dozens of tiny ninja stars.

Sora, Jack, and Chelsea looked to see what Oogie was up to now. Oogie threw the stars at the group. They each connected a hit and sent the stars back at Oogie.

The gates dropped down about halfway. "Keep it up, it's working," Jack encouraged.

Oogie began walking around the edge of the wheel. He occasionally stopped and threw a single orange die at the group. They dodged it causing the gate to drop a fraction.

"Come on Oogie Boogie!" Chelsea yelled.

Oogie stopped walking around and hurled six orange dice at the group. Sora, Riku, and Chelsea deftly swung at the dice and sent them back at the gate. This caused the gate to drop completely.

"It's down! Let's go," Jack said. He ran toward Oogie.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea followed after Jack. Oogie took a stand and faced his attackers. The four unleashed a flurry of attacks on Oogie Boogie.

Oogie was a skilled combatant. He blocked most attacks, and threw dice at them. Chelsea connected a critical hit to Oogie's side.

"Nice hit, Chelsea," Sora complimented.

"Thanks," she replied. At that moment, Oogie recovered from her attack. She realized that to win, she would need to use her Lightbearer ability. She closed her eyes and thought, "_I wish that we would win. I wish that Sora and Riku would land a critical hit." _

When Chelsea opened her eyes, she watched as Sora and Riku each landed a finishing blow to Oogie from either side.

"No! How could…you defeat…me?" Oogie managed to say before he collapsed flat. A bunch of bugs leaked out from where Oogie lay.

"We did it!" Chelsea cheered.

"Thank you for your help," Jack praised.

At that moment, the mansion began to shake. "Come on, the mansion is going to collapse," Riku said. He began running for the near by door.

The group followed close behind. They bolted through the door and emerged on a path leading up to the bridge. They sprinted up the path and across the bridge to safety. They stood there and watched as the mansion collapsed.

"Let's get out of here," Sora suggested.

"We should go see the doctor," Jack said.

The four made their way back into the town square where they met Sally, the mayor, and Dr. Finkelstein.

"So…how did it go?" the mayor asked.

"Oogie Boogie has been defeated," Jack proclaimed.

"Oh, Jack that's wonderful," Sally said.

"It's all thanks to Sora, Riku, and Chelsea," Jack said.

"It was nothing. We owed you for helping us," Sora said.

"Speaking of which…we should be going," Riku said.

"Yeah, we can't keep the queen waiting," Sora agreed.

"Okay…thanks for everything," Jack said.

"You're welcome, and thanks doctor," Sora said. Dr. Finkelstein only nodded.

"Bye!" Chelsea called.

They walked back through the gate to their ship. Sora unlocked it and they stepped inside. Sora took his seat as pilot, Riku as co-pilot, and Chelsea in one of the other seats. She let the sleeping Winnie out of her caddy to stretch. Chelsea went to the cabinet and grabbed some food for Winnie. She placed it in a bowl, and Winnie just looked at it. Winnie curled up at Chelsea's feet and laid there.

"Let's head for Disney Castle," Sora said.

As the ship lifted off the ground, the groups clothes transformed back to normal.


	87. Chapter 86 I Can't Lose

Chapter 86

Chapter 86

I Can't Lose

"Don't worry," Canin said from somewhere in the fog. "It won't last long."

With that Naminé received a hard punch to her side.

"Naminé!" Matt yelled trying to see into the fog.

"That's cheating!" Kairi screamed form the stands.

"No it's not," Meg replied.

"It's perfectly fair," Hercules added. "It's one of the weapons that Canin chose to battle with…but…I don't know how he absorbed Naminé's fire attack."

Naminé started to cry from both fear and frustration.

"Thundara! Gravira! Blizzara!" she cried.

She looked to see if she had hit him, but all she saw was the black mist.

"You can't hit what you can't see!" Canin laughed. "Firaga!"

Naminé was engulfed in flames.

She screamed as she put the flames out with a blizzara spell. Naminé began to wonder what would happen to her if she continued to battle.

Tears formed in her eyes as she inhaled the smoke.

"Think Naminé!" Matt yelled hopefully.

An idea struck her at once.

"Aeroaga!" she yelled. The wind blew all around her, blowing the mist away. After a few seconds the mist vanished enough for Canin to be revealed in the middle of the arena.

He looked amazed and dumbfounded that Naminé had found a way past his camouflaged protection.

"See you now," Naminé taunted.

Canin reached in his pocket for more pellets, but Naminé expected it.

"Graviraga!" she yelled.

Naminé's spell hit him straight in the chest. It sent him flying to the nearest wall of the arena, separating him from his pellets.

The pellets exploded emitting a fine black mist. Canin ran towards it.

"Oh no you don't…" Naminé said. "_Aeroaga!_" she thought.

"Firaga!" Canin yelled after the clouds had dispersed. Naminé almost dodged his attack, but it hit her squarely in the hip.

"Firaga! Firaga! Firaga!" Canin hollered.

A spiral of fire emerged from Canin. Naminé struggled to doge the attacks.

She moved Heartreliever to deflect his attacks.

With each attack from Canin though, it became harder and harder to doge them.

Naminé's skirt was scorched by the fire as well as her skin the forearms and legs.

"Naminé! You can win!" Matt yelled to her.

"_I will win_," she thought.

"Firaga!" Canin yelled.

"Aeroaga!" she shrieked. Her spell was so powerful, the wind redirected the fire into the audience.

"Gaviraga!" Naminé shouted with complete concentration.

Canin was blown into a wall so hard, he crashed the concrete, making a huge human-sized hole in it.

"_Thundaraga_!" Naminé thought.

At once a huge lightening bolt submerged from the sky and struck Canin.

Canin twitched as he fell to the ground. His arms and legs shook as he tried to get up. He failed.

"Winner!" Mr. Mankis yelled proudly. "Naminé!"

"Na-mi-né! Na-mi-né! Na-mi-né! Na-mi-né!" chanted the crowd.

She smiled awkwardly. She wasn't used to this kind of attention.

"Yeah, Naminé!" Matt yelled clapping his hands furiously.

Charlen whistled loudly clapping her hands as well.

Naminé laughed in disbelief and tiredly waved her hand towards the crowd.

"I…can't…lose," Canin whispered. He clutched the sand between his fingers.

"Hades!" he yelled. His voice was almost split in two, one being a very high voice, and the other having a low tone.

Only Naminé seemed to notice his outcry. She turned in his direction to see Hades standing over Canin.

"You miserable oafs!" Hades screamed. "I can't believe it!"

As Hades became angrier, the blue flame resting on top his head began to grow in size and heat.

"I practically give you two my powers and you still lose! I can't believe you two!"

Hades was now engulfed in a red flame produced by his anger.

Everybody in the stadium had realized Hades' presence now and was staring at him with fear and great intensity. Hades had engulfed Canin in the fire as well now.

Now the fire diminished, and instead of Canin, two small creatures lay before Hades.

A fat read man with devil horns clutched his horned tail as he wailed, "Panic and I are sorry! We are worms! Useless worms!" He slammed his face into the ground before him whining in pain but trying to please Hades.

The other creature was short, blue, and skinny. He pulled down his long, pointy ears as he added, "Yes! Panic and I…I mean Pain and Panic…I mean Pain and Pain…"

"Shut up!" Hades yelled.

Pain and Panic scurried about in fear. Pain tripped over Panic, who was still trying to get his apology right, and smashed into the wall.

"Canin Piap was really those two creatures in disguise?" Mr. Mankis questioned.

"Hades!" Hercules yelled running to him. "What do you want now?!"

Hades smirked as he said, "If you two can't get that Atlas Stone, I will."


	88. Chapter 87 Flying Experience

Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Flying Experience

"Look, our clothes are back to normal," Chelsea said.

Sora steered the ship away from Halloween Town and in the direction of Disney Castle.

"Sora, do us a favor this time and don't crash us," Riku said with a laugh.

"Hahaha…it's not gonna happen this time," Sora replied.

"That's good. Riku, could you come with me for a minute," Chelsea said.

"Sure," Riku agreed. He stood up and followed Chelsea to the back of the ship. She led him into a small storage room. "What's up?" he asked.

"I wanted a few moments alone with you," Chelsea replied.

"I see…I think I know why," Riku said with a sly smile.

Chelsea pressed her body against Riku's and entwined her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She opened her mouth slightly and began kissing Riku. They were locked in the embrace when Riku gave a small gasp.

"What's wrong?" Chelsea asked, breaking the kiss.

"It's…nothing," Riku said his face flushing.

"It's not nothing," Chelsea pressed.

"Fine, let's just say I now realize how much I love you," Riku said.

"Oh Riku, I love you too," Chelsea said. She gave Riku another kiss.

"You know what I mean, huh?" Riku asked after the kiss.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure…" Chelsea said.

Riku led her out of the room and back up to the front of the ship. Sora shook his head slightly and focused back on the space in front of him. _"I miss my stolen moments with Kairi,"_ he thought sadly.

"Where are we?" Riku asked taking up he co-pilots seat.

"We just passed Agrabah," Sora replied.

"How much longer until we reach Disney Castle?" Chelsea queried.

"About two days provided we don't make anymore side stops," Sora replied. He quickly glanced back at Chelsea who stood behind Riku's seat.

"Let's hope," Riku said. He took the controls and gave Sora a break.

Sora spun around in his chair to face Chelsea. He gave her an appraising look. He gave a small, tired smile. Chelsea smiled back wondering what Sora was looking at.

"I can't believe we have come so far, but are still no where near the end of our journey," Sora said sadly.

"I am having a great time. I don't care how long this mission takes," Chelsea offered.

"It's been such a long time since we've been home," Sora whispered sadly.

"Yeah, wonder when we'll be home again?" Riku agreed.

"Hey, come on, let's not think about that. Let's think about what a great time we are having," Chelsea said trying to cheer them up.

"Yeah, I guess…" Sora said. The look on his face showed that he was very depressed.

Chelsea knew that he missed Kairi. She wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how. She turned to face Sora and asked, "Sora, how can I help make you happy?"

"Honestly Chelsea, I don't know…maybe I just need to drive again to keep my mind off of Kairi," Sora responded. He spun around to take the controls.

Chelsea had inspiration hit her and said, "No Sora, let me be pilot. That way you can go sleep. You need to sleep."

"No I…I couldn't let you pilot the ship. You have no previous experience," Sora protested.

"Come on…please," Chelsea begged. She walked over to Sora and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Sora looked up into Chelsea's dark brown eyes. He saw the pleading and concern there. "I'm not sure…" he said.

"Come on man, let her have a chance," Riku said.

"She has no clue how to fly," Sora protested.

"It's not that hard, and besides, I'll be here to help her," Riku said. He swerved out of the way of an oncoming ship.

Chelsea crouched down and put her hand on Sora's leg. She looked up at him and gave him an imploring look. She knew this would work.

"I'm still not sure…" Sora began. He tried not to look at Chelsea.

Chelsea's mouth dropped open in surprise that her look hadn't worked. She forced a smile on her face and said, "Please." She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"Yeah Sora, please," Riku imitated Chelsea.

"Riku, keep your eyes in front of us! We don't need to crash again," Sora scolded. Then he looked back at Chelsea and added, "All right."

"Yay!" Chelsea screamed. She began jumping up and down. She jumped over to Riku and gave him a hug.

Sora stood up and took a seat in one of the other passenger seats. Chelsea took up the pilot's seat. She sat up straight.

"You look important now," Riku said.

"You think so?" Chelsea asked.

"Defiantly, now take the wheel, and push the red button," Riku said. He pointed to a little red button on the control panel.

Chelsea did what she was told. She was now in control of the ship. At first, the movement was jerky, but after dodging a few incoming ships while Riku shouted expletives at the other drivers; her control became smoother.

Sora was now sound asleep and lightly snoring. He was curled up small enough to fit onto one seat. Chelsea and Riku could hear Sora murmuring, "Kairi…," in his sleep.

Riku looked over at Chelsea and rolled his eyes. A small smile crossed his face.

"It must be nice knowing you found the one special person," Chelsea commented. She quickly glanced at Riku.

"Yeah, a few years ago I would have given anything to have Kairi," Riku reminisced.

"Why did you like Kairi?" Chelsea asked. She jerked the ship out of the way of a huge snake like ship.

"She was cute and innocent. She was the first person to come to live on our island. She made me start thinking that maybe we could go to other worlds. Then I screwed up and Sora ended up rescuing her," Riku explained. There was a note of sorrow in his voice.

"You turned to darkness and ended up being a jackass," Sora commented startling Riku and Chelsea.

"Holy crap! I thought you were sleeping," Riku exclaimed turning around to face Sora.

"I was, but I heard Kairi's name," Sora explained.

The ship jerked to the left as Chelsea dodged an oncoming ship. The other ship swerved back into the path of the Gummi Ship. It hit and sent them careening down toward a strange world.


	89. Chapter 88 Hades Interferes

Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Hades Interferes

"Herc!" Hades yelled. "Why don't you just hand over that Atlas Stone?"

"Never Hades!" Hercules replied. "Even if you would win!"

"Yeah!" Phil added. "Rule number fifty- evil never wins!"

As smoke began to engulf Hades, he let out a loud hackle. He smirked as he responded, "Well…the rules' are about to change."

"Not today!" Hercules yelled running head first into the fog.

"Yeah! That-a-way kid!" Phil yelled. "Rule number sixty-seven-Keep your eye.."

At once Hercules was catapulted form the fog engulfed in flames.

"On the prize…" Phil finished silently.

"Hercules!" Meg yelled running towards him. She was quickly joined by the others, even Charlen, who knelt down beside him.

"You okay, kid?" Phil asked.

"Yeah…" Hercules replied. "I'm just gonna take a…little nap," he said before he passed out in Meg's arms.

"One down, eight to go," Hades challenged. The fog dismissed to reveal Hades standing in a swarm of Heartless. Mr. Mankis yelled as he ran away throwing the Atlas Stone behind him.

"Make that seven!" Hades corrected himself.

Naminé and Kairi summoned their Keyblades into their right hand. Naminé reached forward and pocketed the Atlas Stone.

Matt and Roxas summoned both of their own keyblades in each of their hands.

Charlen withdrew her spears from behind her back.

They all stood in front of Phil, Meg, and an unconscious Hercules.

Still keeping his eyes on Hades, Matt whispered, "Take Hercules out of here."

"And get these people out of here," Kairi added.

"If he wakes up, tell him not to come back," Roxas stated.

"Be safe," Naminé whispered.

"We'll take care of the oversized powder-puff," Charlen said.

Meg and Phil dragged Hercules across the arena to the exit.

"Ha!" Hades laughed. "You really think that you little brats can beat me?! Me?! The god of the underworld?!"

The teens stood their ground waiting for the attack.

Hades snapped his finger and at once the Heartless sprung forward.

Hades smirked as his summoned Heartless attacked. Hades erupted into flames sending fire everywhere.

Up to now, the audience had sat still from fear, just watching the show. But as soon as the fire had spread in their direction, they fled in panic.

The five teens automatically began fighting.

Naminé and Kairi sent strong spells into the mass as Charlen impaled several Heartless with her spears.

Roxas was spinning quickly in a circle with his keyblades pointed outward. As he spun, he knocked away all of the approaching Heartless.

"_Think Matt,_" he thought to himself as he struck Heartless hard across the head.

He stared at Hades trying to see if he could break his stare.

He was standing still in the center in what seemed to be a hole It seemed like a hole only because every second, more Heartless crawled out of the ground around him.

Wingblader flew into the air from Matt's throw.

"Thundara!" Matt yelled pointing Dreamscape in the air.

"Firaga!" Hades yelled pointing at Matt and his spell with separate hands.

A wave of fire met Matt's spell before it could get to Wingblader. Anopther blast of fire hit him square in the chest.

He shot to the opposite side of the arena where Roxas was battling. Matt hit Roxas from behind, accidentally.

They both were pushed to the wall. Roxas hit his head hard and fell unconsciously to the ground.

"Roxas," Matt gasped. He jumped to his feet and began defending him.

Hit after hit, the Heartless would still come. Matt turned to see a pile of Heartless upon Roxas.

"Get off him!" he yelled jumping up. He drilled Dreamscape into the ground. A ray of light emerged around him and phased all of the nearby creatures.

Roxas lay unharmed and unaffected by the attack.

He turned to see Hercules running towards him.

"Hercules! What are you doing?!" Matt yelled.

"I'm back…to help…" he said out of breath.

"You're in no condition to fight!" Naminé screamed from her battle.

"But…"

"No!" Matt yelled. He stared Hercules directly in the eyes before returning to battle. "Get Roxas out of here!"

With a nod, Hercules accepted it. He scooped Roxas onto his shoulders and ran back outside.

Matt continued using the Quickblade and Razorblade attacks that he had learned from Cloud. He managed to make his way to the middle of the arena where Naminé and Kairi stood fighting over a collapsed Charlen, who was clutching her ankle.

"Nothing we do is working!" Naminé exclaimed.

"They just keep getting worse!" Kairi added.

"And they're just going to keep on coming!" Hades laughed as the flames surrounding him grew bigger and bigger.

"I can't do it anymore," Kairi said as she fell next to Charlen. "I just…can't…" she added as a small tear glistened on her soot covered cheek.

Matt and Naminé stood back to back with their weapons outward.

"The Atlas stone is mine," Hades scowled. He glided towards them.

Matt and Naminé turned their heads rapidly in various directions to see their enemies.

"There's just…too many…" Matt whimpered.

Kairi's face became blank. She stood up at once and took one hand of Matt and Naminé.

"Naminé! Trinity Limit!"

Naminé's mouth fell slightly open and at once she took Matt's free hand.

"Do you think we can do it?" Naminé asked.

"It's our only shot!"

"What's going on?!" Matt questioned.

"Trinity Limit! Yell it loud, Matt!" Kairi yelled.

"But…"

"Trust us, Matt!" Naminé yelled.

Matt yelled with Naminé and Kairi.

"Trinity Limit!"

All three of them gasped.

Energy pulsed throughout their bodies.

Light emerged from the tips of their fingers. A light mist began to form in-between them.

"Whatever you're doing, it's pointless," Hades stated.

He summoned massive fireballs and launched them at the teens. The fireballs grew in size as they approached.

When it came to them however, it just bounced off them and back at Hades who was unable to dodge his own attack.

Pain and Panic watched in horror as their master was hit with his own attack.

"He's not going to happy when he gets out of there," Panic whimpered.

"You mean _if_ he gets out of there," Pain added.

"If…if is good," Panic commented.

"What is this?" Hades questioned.

The mist began to swarm around Matt, Naminé, and Kairi.

Matt raised his head and raised his hands, still holding Kairi's and Naminé's.

At once the light multiplied and filled the arena. A strong wind formed from between the teens and blew ferociously, making their hair fly wildly and clothes wave.

The light that grew vaporized any Heartless it touched.

Once the light dismissed, nothing was left in the arena besides the four teens, Pain and Panic, and Hades who was lying on the ground weakened by the attack.

Hades struggled to get to his feet.

Matt, Naminé, and Kairi walked over to him and stood a few inches away.

Hades looked up at them with hatred and frustration.

Matt, Naminé, and Kairi all pointed their Keyblades at him.

"I…can't…lose…" Hades stammered.

"You just did," Kairi said.

They all sumng at him, but he vanished in a black cloud of smoke.


	90. Chapter 89 A Rough Landing in Port Royal

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

A Rough Landing in Port Royal

"Way to go, now we are going to crash again," Sora said sarcastically. He jumped to his feet and ran over to the control panel.

"No, I can do it," Chelsea insisted. She jerked the wheel away from Sora.

The ship jerked to the left and right as it continued to descend. Chelsea steadied the ship, and tried to get it back in the sky. "Just land the ship," Sora said.

"How?" Chelsea asked.

The ground came closer and closer. "Push the blue button!" Sora shouted at Chelsea.

She pushed the flashing blue button next to the steering wheel. The ship grazed the ground and skidded to a halt in front of an old bell.

"Great, now what?" Riku asked. He stood up and peered out the window. They had landed on what seemed to be a stone balcony. There was a small town to the left and the ocean stretched out in front of them.

"As long as we're here, we may as well go look around," Chelsea suggested. She stood up and went over to the door.

"You're just trying to cover up the fact that you crashed the ship," Sora said. He looked at Riku and shrugged. They followed Chelsea out onto the stone pier.

"Where are we?" Riku asked as he looked around.

"Port Royal," Sora answered.

Riku and Chelsea looked over at him. "How do you know that?" Chelsea asked.

"There," Sora said. He pointed to the bell. Across the arch were the words Port Royal.

"Help!" a girl's voice rang out. A woman in a gold and white ball dress with long curly blonde hair, and blue eyes ran towards the group.

"Elizabeth!" a male voice called after the woman. He had collar length dark brown hair with a little beard growing. He wore worn blacksmiths clothes.

The woman stopped running and turned to face the man. "Will, run, there are black creatures after me," Elizabeth said.

"Did you hear that?" Sora whispered to Chelsea and Riku.

"Heartless," Riku whispered back.

"We should help," Chelsea suggested. She approached the woman and said, "Hi, I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma. Perhaps we could help. My name is Chelsea, that's Sora, and that's Riku."

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Elizabeth Swann, and this is William Turner," Elizabeth said.

"What about me, love?" a man's voice asked. A gruff man rounded the corner. He had long, braided dark brown hair, a red bandana, and was dressed like a pirate.

"Of course, this is Jack Sparrow," Will answered for Elizabeth.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack corrected. He approached Chelsea and kissed her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Captain Jack Sparrow," Chelsea said; a blush creped across her face.

"Sorry Captain, but she's taken," Riku said. He stepped protectively in front of Chelsea.

"Terribly sorry, but she's just so beautiful," Jack replied.

Sora stepped up behind Riku and placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. Riku looked at Sora. He made a soft growling noise.

"Anyway, how can we be of assistance?" Sora asked.

"There are black things coming after me," Elizabeth restated.

"Heartless," Chelsea said.

"Is that what they are called?" Will asked.

"Aye. I have an inkling they are after fair lass because she has the last medallion that the man who sent them is after," Jack spoke up.

Everyone turned to look at Jack. Their mouth hung slightly agape. "Who sent them?" Will asked.

"Captain Barbossa," Jack answered.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea exchanged glances with each other. "Why can this guy control the Heartless?" Chelsea whispered.

"He must have turned to darkness. The only way he could control the Heartless was if he gave into the darkness in his heart," Sora explained.

"There ye are," a gruff voice rang out. The group turned to face a ragged looking man. He had wispy gray hair and beard, tattered pirates clothes, and tired looking gray eyes. On his head he wore a huge black hat with holes in it. Perched on his shoulder sat a small monkey.

"Barbossa, give me back the Pearl!" Jack shouted.

"How'd you get off that island, Jack?" Barbossa asked.

"Sea-turtles," Jack answered nonchalantly.

"Barbossa, what do you want with Elizabeth?" Will asked.

"Young miss Turner has something of ours," Barbossa answered.

Will turned to Elizabeth and whispered, "Turner?"

"I gave them your last name because otherwise they would have taken my medallion and went after you," Elizabeth whispered back.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"This is yours. I took it that day we found you at sea."

Will looked at the medallion in Elizabeth's outstretched hand. A look of sorrow crossed his face.

"Enough yapping," Barbossa said. He pointed at Elizabeth and four Neoshadows rushed forward and picked her up. They disappeared into the darkness.

"Where did you take her?" Will demanded.

"She owes us a little favor. There's no need to worry, she won't be killed…yet," Barbossa responded. With that, the darkness swallowed Barbossa too.

"Jack, where did they take her?" Will asked.

"To their ship, bound for the Isla de Muerta," Jack replied.

"We must help her," Will said.

"We will help you," Chelsea said. She summoned her Starkeeper. Sora summoned the Oathkeeper, and Riku his Way to Dawn.

Will admired their Keyblades; while Jack closely examined them. Jack got closer to Chelsea and carefully looked at the Keyblade. "Can I give that lovely blade a try?" Jack asked.

Chelsea inched closer to Sora and Riku and asked in a hushed voice, "Should I let him?"

"It won't matter, he won't be able to use it," Sora whispered back.

Chelsea smiled at Jack and held out the Starkeeper for Jack to take. He took it with a sly smile. He held it out in front of him for a moment, and then it vanished. It reappeared in Chelsea's hand.

"I knew that was far too easy," Jack commented.

"What are those blades called?" Will asked curiously.

"They are Keyblades. Only the chosen owner can wield one," Riku explained.

"Fascinating…" Jack mumbled.

"Enough dilly-dallying; we must save Elizabeth!" Will announced.

"One problem Will, we have no ship," Sora pointed out.

"That's where Jack comes in," Will answered. He turned to Jack and said, "I rescued you from that jail cell, Sparrow, now it's your turn to help me."

"Dear Will, one problem, I've no ship either," Jack said.

"A pirate with no ship?" Riku asked.

"Barbossa and the crew committed a mutiny against me. They stranded me on a desert island and sailed away with my ship. I hitched a ride with the rum-runners and finally commandeered a small boat. It sank the moment I reached Port Royal," Jack explained.

"Rum-runners? I thoutht you said you rode sea turtles," Will said.

"That's more exciting, but the truth is I hitched a ride with the rum-runners," Jack confessed.

"There are ships in the harbor," Will said.

"A pirate, just like his father," Jack mumbled to himself. To the others he said, "Then we may have to commandeer one."

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea followed Jack and Will off the pier down to the harbor. There were about ten boats docked there.

"Which ship?" Will asked Jack quietly.

"That one. The Interceptor, the fastest ship in Port Royal. With that, the Black Pearl will be nigh uncatchable," Jack said.

The group walked nonchalantly toward the Interceptor. There was no one aboard or around. Jack, Will, Sora, Riku, and Chelsea quickly climbed aboard the ship. Jack took the helm and began calling out orders to everyone else.

"The ship is ready to sail Captain," Chelsea called.

"Thank ye lass," Jack called back. Chelsea blushed at being called lass.

"Now to catch the Black Pearl," Will said.


	91. Chapter 90 A Revelation

Chapter 90

Chapter 90

A Revelation

"Where'd he go?" Matt asked.

"I don't know…" Naminé answered.€

"He went back to the Underworld," Hercules said rejoining the group.

"Back where he belongs," Phil added. "Ha!"

Phil yelled loudly as if to challenge Hades. "That's right ya blue hothead! You never come back!"

"In fact…" Hercules started turning his head.

Pain and Panic were tiptoeing along the wall trying to exit unnoticed.

Hercules ran after them.

They screamed in fear and sprinted towards the exit.

"Holy gees! Holy gees! He's gonna crack our spines!" Panic hollered.

Hercules took a hold of Pain and threw him after Panic as he yelled, "Tell Hades the message!"

As the two creaturesw exited the arena, Mr. Mankis stuck his head just inside visible range.

Once he saw there was no one there who would hurt him he proceeded to the group. Naminé reached inside her pocket and withdrew the Atlas Stone.

"Good job! Good job!" Mr. Mankis yelled shaking Matt's hand. He made his rounds shaking everybody's hands as he yelled, "Knew you'd take care of that blue oaf!"

As Mr. Mankis shook Naminé's hand, she placed the Atlas Stone in his free hand.

He phased into a stage of confusion. He stared at her, looking very bewildered.

"Why are you giving me this?" he asked.

Naminé began to answer, but he cut her off.

"You deserve it, you proved that," he added as he handed it back to her.

"But Matt…" Naminé, began as she denied it.

"Ah, yes…mister Snelick deserves it as well."

He put his hand to his chin and began to rub it, thinking hard of a solution.

"Aha!" he yelled. "Got it…do rock, paper, scissors."

Naminé, Matt, Phil, Kairi, and Hercules all gave him the 'are you kidding' look.

Mr. Mankis grinned at them saying, "Go ahead."

Naminé and Matt exchanged glances, then shrugged their shoulders.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" they yelled.

Naminé's hand formed paper as Matt's formed into scissors.

Naminé looked somewhat upset, but accepted it.

Mr. Mankis yelled, "Well…that's it then. Congrats, Matt!" as he handed the Atlas Stone to Matt.

Matt smiled as he pocketed the stone.

"And you get to ride Pegasus again!" Hercules yelled.

Matt shivered as he replied, "Once was good enough…let Kairi and Roxas ride him this time."

"Where is Roxas anyway?" Kairi asked.

"Oh!" Hercules exclaimed. "Meg's taking care of him."

"Is he ok?" Naminé asked.

"Yeah…the kid just took one too many hits to the head," Phil said.

Matt strained his face shamefully.

"That….was bad," Matt said.

"Well…all I got to say, is when something's coming at your head, two words-duck," Phil added.

Everybody laughed for a few minutes, before Hercules exclaimed, "What happened to Charlen?"

Kairi jumped yelling, "Oh my god! I completely forgot!"

She knelt down beside her and whispered, "Cura!"

Some color regained in her face and her eyes open.

"What happened," she groaned sitting up.

As Matt helped her to her feet Naminé replied, "You fainted from exhaustion."

"You did great though!" Hercules interjected. "All of you did."

"I bet you're glad the queen sent you guys to get me!" Matt joked.

"Yeah…" Naminé replied as she gave a timid look to Kairi.

"C'mon guys, I'll bring you to where the others are," Hercules said.

He led them outside and began walking into the town.

Naminé however stayed behind and tugged on Matt's shirt, motioning him to stay behind. Everybody else proceeded as if nothing had happened.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked.

"I…I…need to tell you something," she said.

"What? Are you ok?"

Naminé shook her head saying, "No…no, I'm fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

"We haven't been telling you the whole truth."

Confused, Matt said, "Naminé, you're scaring me."

"I'm scared!" Naminé screamed startling Matt.

"Naminé! Relax! You can tell me…"

"The queen didn't send us to find you," Naminé blurted out.

"Wh…what?"

"Do you remember Chelesax? She was the one who sent us to find you."

"But she's the bad guy."

Naminé hid her face in her hands and began to cry.

"Does that mean you're a…"

"No!" Naminé screamed immediately.

"Chelesax and Xtmat had kidnapped our King and in exchange for his freedom, they wanted you."

"So you guys were just going to 'trade' me for your King?! You were just going to let them take care of me?"

"No! You don't' mean that! We were going to try to trick them!"

"Sure you were, right after you traded me for your precious King! That's why the queen wants to see me! She wants her King back! I'm just a bargaining chip!"

He began to walk away in the opposite direction.

"Matt! Stop!" Naminé cried.

"No, you stop!…You know what?…Just leave me alone!"

And with that he turned his back on a person who he no longer thought of as a friend.

Tears flowing down her face, Naminé ran back to tell Kairi and Roxas.

With tears of frustration running down his cheeks, Matt tried to force open the Gummi Ship's door.

"Meow! Meow!"

"I'm trying Allie!" he yelled and pulled harder and harder.

"I wish this door would just open!" he stammered.

The door whizzed open and Allie jumped on Matt. Allie purred wildly as he scratched behind her ears.

Matt glanced around him desperately as if he was looking for something.

"I wish I could get out of here."

"I'm glad you're ok Roxas," Charlen said.

"Thanks," he replied as he took a cup of juice from Meg.

"Yeah, well Roxas did give'em the ol' one, two," Meg added as she punched him lightly with each fist.

"Guys!" Naminé yelled. "Guys! Guys!"

"What?!" Roxas yelled from shock.

"Matt's leaving! He's leaving!"

"What?!" everybody yelled.

"Where's he going?" Hercules asked.

"I'll go get him," Charlen said running out.

"What did you say?" Kairi questioned.

Naminé replied, "I had to."

Kairi groaned as she rolled her eyes. "Naminé you didn't!"

Matt looked around to see if his wish came true. Nothing had happened.

"Please…" Matt begged. "I want to leave."

"Matt!" Charlen yelled. She came running over the hill.

"What are you doing? Why are you leaving?" she asked.

"Charlen! Charlen!" Matt yelled. "Charlen…how did you get to Olympus Coliseum?"

"With my Gummi Ship…why?" she asked.

"Can you take me somewhere?"

"Where?" she asked curiously.

"Anywhere, but here," he answered. "They used me…all this time, they weren't my friends. They just used me…"

"What?" Charlen questioned in shock. "Are you sure? The guys don't seem that they would do something like that."

"Please…" Matt begged.

Charlen looked over her shoulder then back to Matt.

"Fine…" she replied unwillingly.

"Where's your ship?"

"Right there," Charlen said pointing to the opposite side of the arean.

A black Gummi Ship painted with purple flames was parked outside the arena's left wall. "That's what I call a ship," Matt commented.

"Where to?" Charlen asked opening up the door.

Matt thought to himself before answering, "Agrabah."


	92. Chapter 91 Another Apprentice

Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Another Apprentice

"Where have you been all day?" Chelesax growled.

"I was making plans, unlike you, I have matters to take care of," Xtmat said his temper rising.

"Where is the girl?" Chelesax asked ignoring Xtmat's remark.

"She wouldn't part from her 'hero' friends," Xtmat said.

"Tell me again why you sent Rexsil to do this job?" Chelesax asked her temper rising.

Xtmat began pacing back and forth across the white marble floor. "Because he is my best apprentice," he responded.

"YOUR apprentice! What about ME!" Chelesax screamed. "After all this you consider me an underling!"

"It that's how you want to see it…" Xtmat said calmly.

Chelesax opened her mouth to retort, but there was a knock upon the door. "Come in!" she yelled.

The door slowly opened to reveal a five foot seven girl. She wore a tight leather bustier with a matching leather micro mini skirt. He knee high boots clicked on the floor as she entered the room. Her pursed lips stood out on her pale face. She focused her pitch black eyes on Chelesax. She tucked a strand of her hip length jet black hair back. "You wanted to see me mistress Chelesax?" she asked.

"Yes, Larissa, I need you to take care of the pest problem we talked about earlier," Chelesax said.

Xtmat looked on in confusion. "I have more important matters to take care of," Xtmat said with a growl. With that he disappeared.

"Ahh…yes," Larissa responded. She held out a black oil lamp.

"Good…you know what to do," Chelesax said.

Larissa nodded and rubbed the lamp she held. "Jafar, I need a sandstorm," she said.


	93. Chapter 92 Chasing the Black Pearl

Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Chasing the Black Pearl

The ship lurched forward and began to pick up speed. From the ship, the group could see people waving their arms around wildly.

Chelsea looked around the ship. "I've never been on a ship before," she said. She admired everything around the ship.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, lass," Jack said. He had a small black compass in his hand.

Sora and Riku approached Chelsea. They were next to the captain's stateroom. "Do you think it's a good idea that we trust a pirate?" Sora asked.

Will walked over and said, "Probably not. It's wisest not to trust a word pirates say."

"Why?" Riku asked.

"They will say and do anything to get what they want," Will explained.

"Good to know…" Riku acknowledged. He looked over at Chelsea and smiled.

"Stop your yappin' and start helping," Jack called. He deftly twisted the helm to change the ship's course.

"Aye, aye captain," Chelsea said.

"What do you need us to do?" Sora asked.

Will, Sora, Riku, and Chelsea ascended the staircase to the helm. They stood in a straight line, awaiting orders.

Jack looked down at his compass again. He gave it a little shake and looked at it again. He snapped it shut with a grunt of frustration.

"What's wrong Jack?" Will asked.

"My compass…it's special. It doesn't point north," Jack said.

"Where does it point?" Riku asked interrupting Jack.

"It points to what you want most in the whole world," Jack finished.

"Anything you want, it will point you in the direction it is?" Sora asked. An idea had formulated in his head. A slight smile crossed his face.

Riku looked over at Sora, and saw the smile. "It won't point to where Kairi is," he whispered in Sora's ear.

Sora gave a sigh and replied, "I could hope."

"William, take the helm and my compass. I reckon you will be able to lead us to the Black Pearl," Jack said. He handed Will the compass and stepped back to let Will take the helm.

Jack walked past Sora, Riku, and Chelsea. He waved at them so they would follow. They hurried after Jack. He led them into the captain's stateroom. From his bag, Jack pulled out a bottle.

"What's that?" Chelsea asked.

"You don't know what this is?" Jack asked in disbelief. He shook the bottle causing the contents to splash around.

"No…should I?" Chelsea replied.

"It's rum," Jack said. He shoved the bottle into Chelsea's hand.

She looked at it then at Sora and Riku. "Rum? What do you want me to do with it?" she asked.

"You drink it, of course," Jack said. He pulled another bottle out and took a gulp out of it. "It won't kill ya."

Chelsea looked down at the bottle in her hand. She took a small sip and spit it out. "Ugh…this is awful!" she said.

"Awful…more for me then," Jack said taking the bottle from Chelsea. He downed the contents in one gulp.

Sora looked at Chelsea and shrugged. "Should you drink all that rum?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, isn't that bad for you?" Chelsea chimed in.

"Not to mention you'll get drunk," Riku pointed out.

Jack gulped down the other bottle of rum and replied, "That's a pirates life, and a pirates life for me." He went to get another bottle of rum, and found that all the rum was gone. "Why is the rum gone?" he asked.

"You drank two bottles, and that's all that is on board with us," Riku said.

"That would explain it," Jack said. He tried to walk, but couldn't walk a straight line. He stumbled, and caught himself on the desk.

"Jack! Black Pearl off the Starboard bow!" Will called.

"Don't let us be seen!" Jack called back. "We want them to think we didn't follow them."

"Aye, aye captain!" Will called back.

"Why don't we want them to see us?" Chelsea asked.

"Ah lass, if they saw us, they would try to engage us in a sea battle," Jack replied. He took Chelsea's hand and kissed it. Her face turned a light shade of pink.

"Back off," Riku threatened Jack. He placed his hands on Chelsea's shoulders.

Sora turned to leave. Chelsea and Riku turned around too. Jack shrugged and followed them to the deck. Jack ran up to the helm and took out his spyglass. He looked through it, trying to locate the Black Pearl.

"I will have my ship back, Barbossa," Jack said to himself.

"Captain, orders?" Sora asked.

"None right now, just be prepared to dock the ship once we reach the Isla de Muerta. That's where Barbossa is headed," Jack responded.

"Aye captain," Sora replied.

"So why is Barbossa going to the Isla de Muerta?" Chelsea asked.

"Ahh…that's a long story. It all started when he, Barbossa, mutinied against me. They left me on a godforsaken spit of land and sailed away with my ship. They heard about Aztec gold buried on an Island of Dead. Legend said it was delivered there by Cortez himself. Well, they got the treasure…and the curse. They spent the gold on food, drink, and pleasurable company. After all the gold was gone, they realized there was a curse on the gold. Now they are neither among the living nor the dead. They must retrieve all the gold and the blood must be repaid to free them from the curse," Jack explained.

Chelsea, Sora, and Riku each let out a low whistle, while Will nodded his head. "Then why did they take Elizabeth?" Riku asked.

"She gave them my surname, rather than hers," Will said sadly.

"So?" Chelsea asked.

"My father sent me that gold when I was little. They need my blood, the blood of a pirate," Will explained.

"Your father was a pirate?" Sora asked.

"Old Bootstrap Bill…he was a good man, and a good pirate," Jack said. "Unfortunately he was sent to Davy Jones' locker during my mutiny."

"Captain, the Black Pearl is getting farther ahead of us," Will said.

"That's because we've reached the Isla de Muerta," Jack said.


	94. Chapter 93 Sandstorm Plummet

Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Sandstorm Plummet

"Ok," Charlen replied skeptically. "Agrabah it is then!" she added as she walked inside her ship.

She turned inside the doorway and waved for Matt to follow.

"Are you coming?" she asked placing her hands on her hips.

Allie jumped out of Matt's arms and ran towards the door. She tried to brush past Charlen, but the cat was picked up by her.

"And who is this cute thing?" she screamed rubbing her nose against Allie's.

"This is my cat…Allie," Matt replied walking past her.

"Well aren't you just the cutest thing?! I bet you're hungry too!" Charlen stated following Matt into her ship.

Still holding Allie in one arm, she opened a cabinet and withdrew a small bowl and a carton of milk. She poured the drink to the brim of the bowl and placed it down.

She then opened the purple refrigerator and took out small pieces of ham.

Allie jumped from her arms and began to enjoy her meal.

Matt turned to look out the door. He gazed over the Coliseum and clutched the Atlas Stone in his pocket.

Tears began to form in his eyes. Then with all the anger he had inside, he threw stone out the door. It was then that he saw them.

Kairi, Roxas, and Naminé…walking towards them, but still quite a distance away. Naminé pointed a finger towards the ship and waved for the others to follow.

"Charlen, let's go," Matt said urgently nearly jumping into a seat. "Now!"

Charlen stopped petting Allie and stood up straight.

"Ok," she said walking towards the steering wheel.

"Hurry!" Matt said buckling up.

"Ok!" Charlen replied now trying to hurry pressing the buttons that Kairi and Naminé would normally hit in their spaceship.

The ship began to pull of the ground.

Matt could hear the faint scream of Naminé as the ship got higher.

"What was that?" Charlen asked looking at the mirrors on the side of the ship.

"It was nothing," Matt said on instinct. "Just keep going."

Charlen pushed it aside and pulled the steering wheel backward.

Matt looked outside at the sky of the Olympus Coliseum that he would never see again.

"No!" Naminé screamed jumping as if to try to pull the ship back down.

"Naminé! Come on!" yelled Kairi.

Naminé turned her head almost violently towards Kairi.

Kairi and Roxas were running in the direction of their ship.

"We're gonna lose him!" Roxas yelled.

Kairi opened the door and rushed inside. She immediately began the lift-off process pushing all of the buttons and flipping the switches to take off.

Naminé slid through the door as the doors began to mechanically close.

"Follow that ship!"

Naminé jumped in her seat and pulled the wheel back.

"Wake up…" Charlen said strongly. With one hand remaining on the steering wheel she began to shake Matt's shoulder.

Matt remained sleeping with Allie resting on his lap.

"Wake up!" she said louder.

Matt continued to sleep.

Charlen then took hold of one of her spears and smacked him over the head with the flat side of the blade.

"Wake up!"

Matt howled in pain as he clutched his head.

"What?!" he screamed.

"We're here," Charlen replied with a wide smile. "Look."

Matt looked through the window and gazed down upon the world they were entering. His mouth dropped in awe.

A large golden palace was the centerfold of the huge village. Decorated with golden jewelry the palace seemed to shimmer amongst its surrounding.

A small flea market surrounded the palace from all corners, selling everyday items like food and clothing.

Desert enclosed the village and the sun reflected off the sand in such a way that it made the village seem brighter than what it actually was.

"Cool…"

Suddenly a loud beeping began to echo through the hull of the ship. Charlen flipped switches in a panic as the wide smile transformed into an expression of fear.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" was all she could say.

"What?!" Matt asked now becoming panicked as well.

"A storm! A sandstorm!"

"A sandstorm?"

"Yeah! And a big one too! It's going to crash our ship!"

Sand rushed and beat against the ship, pushing it in all directions. The windows were covered, making it impossible to see.

Matt and Charlen struggled to stay in their seats and the ship swayed violently back and forth.

Allie dug her claws into Matt's lap trying to maintain her position.

Charlen took hold of the steering wheel and pulled it back, trying to steer the ship upward, out of the storm.

Her arms began to shake. The reverse pull was so strong, it would have taken her out of her seat if she wasn't buckled in.

After several intense moments of struggling, she finally let go. The ship immediately began to plummet.

"We're gonna crash!" Matt screamed over Charlen's cries.

"What is that?" Roxas asked curiously.

"Agrabah…" Kairi answered. "Are you sure you saw his ship go there Naminé?"

"Yes! He's there!" Naminé shouted with pure certainty.

She held the Atlas Stone closer to her heart and squeezed it harder.

She whispered softly, "I hope he's there."

"Oh my god! We're gonna die!" Charlen screamed as the ship plummeted.

The sound of his heart began to echo throughout his head almost drowning out Charlen's scream. The sand beat hard against the windshield so hard, cracks began to form. Small sand particles flew between the cracks and landed on Matt's face.

Matt closed his eyes for what happened next.

The windshield burst open with glass shards and sand smacking him in the face. The sand began to fill his mouth almost suffocating him. Charlen's screams silenced.

Suddenly, the feeling was gone. The sand around him had vanished, although the intensity of the wind remained.

"Are you guys ok?!" yelled a voice over the wind.

Matt opened his eyes to see a young male sitting in front of him holding on to him and Charlen with one respective hand.

He had sand-colored skin that was smudged with mud. He wore what looked like large potato sacks sewn together for pants, and was barefoot.

"We're fine!" Matt yelled over the storm, feeling the blood that was dripping down his face begin to dry.

"Well that's good! Hang on!" he yelled as he turned around to look at Matt and Charlen with his brown eyes.

He smiled revealing a bright white smile. His purple button-up vest flew in the breeze revealing his muscular stomach. The purple bean cap on top of his head almost blew off his head.

"Come on carpet! Go!" the young male yelled.

Matt looked over the side. He pulled his head back over and he began to scream.

"I HATE HEIGHTS!"

They were flying on a purple magic carpet. He thought it to be magic for it was flying. Without order, without batteries, and without plugs. It swerved through the air avoiding the large sand chunks that were flown at it.

After a few minutes carpet took a huge dive towards the ground, and before Matt knew it he was sitting on dry land, with no sand beating up against his face.

The young male stood up and turned around showing a wide smile.

"Aladdin," he said reaching out his hands.

Charlen and Matt each took a hand and pulled themselves up.

"I'm Matt and that's Charlen," Matt replied.

"Get…it…off…my…head," Charlen stammered with her hands shaking by her sides. Her eyes almost drew up into her head as she tried to focus on the small monkey that sat on top of her head dressed in the same cap and vest that Aladdin wore.

"Abu!" Aladdin yelled. "What did I tell you about jumping on girls?"

Abu responded with 'eeps' and 'oops', which apparently Aladdin understood.

"It was on my head!" Charlen gagged.

"I know you think she's pretty, but that's no reason!" Aladdin scolded Abu.

Charlen ceased her whining and said to the monkey, "You think I'm pretty?"

Abu gave a curt nod and eeped. Charlen hesitantly reached towards him and let him jump on her again.

"You know, you're kind of cute," she said as she petted him under the chin.

"How'd you get us out of that storm?" Matt asked.

Aladdin gave a sheepish laugh and responded, "I wished it."


	95. Chapter 94 Isla de Muerta

Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Isla de Muerta

The Black Pearl docked up against a large rock face. Will kept the ship as far away as possible. From the deck of the Interceptor, they could see a large mass of people going into the cave. They saw Elizabeth being carried by a horde of Neoshadows.

"Wait…wait…okay, now go dock the ship," Jack ordered.

Will followed orders and brought the ship up to the rock face, about a mile away from the Black Pearl. Chelsea, Sora, and Riku followed the orders Jack began shouting at them. They dropped the anchor and reeled in the sails.

"Now, what's the plan?" Riku asked once they had successfully docked the ship.

"Young Mr. Turner and I follow Barbossa into the cave and rescue fair maiden," Jack said.

"No way…we're coming too," Riku insisted.

"Yeah, we are the Keyblade bearers. We can help," Chelsea added.

"Besides, it's better with more people," Sora added.

"Okay, we all go in," Jack finally agreed.

Jack led the group down the gang plank onto the rock. Chelsea took in the beautiful view; the full moon, the stars, the water gently lapping against the rocks, and the cave in front of them. Jack waved the group on into the cave mouth.

Inside the cave mouth, the group stopped in the middle of the large room. The moonlight filtered down into the room.

"Why did we stop?" Will asked. "By the time we reach Elizabeth, they will have killed her."

"Relax, Will," Chelsea comforted.

"Aye young William, they will not have killed her, and we don't want to catch up with them. If we do that they will kill us," Jack responded.

"What if we do get caught?" Riku asked.

"Defend your selves as best as you can. You can't kill those pirates," Jack said.

"Why can't we kill the pirates?" Sora asked.

"The curse placed upon them, because of it they are neither among the living nor the dead," Jack explained.

"How is that possible?" Chelsea asked.

"They are cursed men. They are like the living dead," Jack replied. "The moonlight shows them for what they really are."

"Is that supposed to be a riddle?" Riku asked.

"No, you'll understand when you see them in the moonlight," Jack responded.

Will shrugged and turned toward the opening to continue deeper into the cave. He began walking toward the other side of the cave.

Sora, Riku, and Chelsea shrugged and followed after Will. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. He sauntered after the others.

The group emerged in a long tunnel-like cave with moonlight streaming down out of small cracks in the roof. Lining the walls were what looked like dynamite kegs.

"Is that dynamite?" Sora asked.

"Aye," Jack replied.

They continued along down the semi dark cave. Sora was sure to stay as far away from the dynamite as possible. At the end of the passage way, they could see into another large cave area.

Once in that large space, Jack held up a hand to signal for them to stop.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

"The room where the ritual is taking place is right there," Jack explained.

"Ritual? What ritual?" Will asked alarmed.

"The one they are probably about to perform on Elizabeth," Jack explained.

"What?" Will practically yelled. He made to run for the next room, but Jack stopped him.

"Relax, like I told you before, Elizabeth won't be in any danger," Jack comforted.

"Right, I thought you weren't supposed to take the word of a pirate," Riku pointed out.

Jack looked from Will to Riku and back again. He had a confused look on his face. "No…that's probably wisest," Jack said.

At that moment, two pirates appeared from the room where the ritual was about to take place. Jack and Will had their backs to them, but Sora, Riku, and Chelsea saw them. Chelsea tried to get the message across to Jack, but he didn't get it.

"'Ello there," one of the pirates said. He was short and chubby. The top of his head was bald, with stringy, dirty hair hanging down the sides.

Jack spun around to look at who had spoken. "Ah, my old crewmen," Jack said.

"What ya doin' here?" the other pirate asked. He was tall and thin with a mop of brown hair on his head. He had a wooden eye in one eye socket.

"Under the pirates Code, we have the right to not tell you our business," Will recited.

Everyone turned to look at Will. Their mouths hung open slightly.

Jack nodded at Sora, Riku, and Chelsea. They nodded back. Chelsea summoned her Starkeeper and Promisekeeper. Riku summoned his Way to Dawn, and Sora summoned his Oathkeeper. They held their Keyblades, poised to strike.

"Go ahead, we can't die," the skinny pirate said.

"That may be, but once they perform the ritual in a few moments, you can," Will said.

The two pirates exchanged glances. They turned around and scampered back to the treasure cove.

"Them two were always cowardly," Jack reminisced.

The group walked over to a small hole and peered through it. From here, they could see the congregation of pirates crowded around Elizabeth and Barbossa.

"Let the ritual begin!" Barbossa shouted.


End file.
